Ash's Ultra Journey
by Darkknight55
Summary: Ash hoped for a relaxing vacation after Kalos and Team Flare, but as always trouble follows him wherever he goes. Having been given a mission from Tapu Koko himself, he now sets off on his Island Trial Challenge to discover his purpose. Rewrite of the Pokemon Sun and Moon Anime.
1. Alola to New Adventures

A/N: Hey out there to all my fellow Pokémon fans out there! Had this idea for a while. Pokémon Moon is my favorite Pokémon game, and while I do like the Sun and Moon series of the anime, it could use a rewrite. And that's where I come in! Basically, this will be a more accurate adaptation of the games, with Moon being the main basis since that's the only Alola game I've played. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Dislaimer: Pokémon and all associated characters is owned by Game Freak/Nintendo.

Chapter 1: Alola to New Adventures!

_Attention, passengers, this is your captain speaking. We will be arriving in Hau'oli Harbor shortly. Thank you for flying with us today, and we hope you enjoy your visit._

"Hear that, Pikachu? We're only minutes away from a new adventure!"

"Pika-Pika!"

On board the sea plane was Ash Ketchum, the legendary trainer from Pallet Town who saved the world more times than he can count. Shortly after

his adventures in the Kalos, his Mom had decided to treat him to a vacation in Alola as a reward for making it that far. Fortunately, Professor Oak had

been kind enough to let this use his vacation home while they were there.

"Don't forget your promise to Oak, Ash. Once we're there, you're to find Professor Kukui and give him that egg as soon as we arrive."

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll make sure that's what I do."

Of course, Oak had expected something in return for his kindness. He had discovered an unusual Pokémon egg in his ranch, which didn't appear to

match any egg from the other six regions.

_"I've never seen anything like it before,"_ Ash recalled him saying, _"And neither have any of the other Professors. Perhaps old Kukui will have some_

_information about it. At the very least it'll give him an opportunity to study egg moves."_

Ash had no problem with fulfilling this task. After all, it was the least he could do for Oak after all he had done for him, up to and including acting

as a father figure towards him. At the very least, it would give Ash a chance to see more of the region.

_Attention, passengers, this is your captain again. We are now beginning our descent into Hau'oli Harbor. Thank you for choosing Alola Airlines._

"Look, Ash! Isn't it beautiful?"

Ash and Pikachu crowded to the window. Approaching rapidly was Hau'oli City, and with it the Alola Region. Even from there they could see the large buildings and massive structures.

"Whoa! Its beautiful!"

Pikachu chirped in agreement.

Before long the plane descended into the Marina, and everyone hurried off the plane to begin their vacations. Ash smirked as he leapt off the plane.

"Look out Alola! Future Pokémon Master coming through!"

"Pika-Pi!"

"Ash, I'll finish unpacking here. You go drop that egg off at our new neighbor's house."

"Okay, Mom! Come on, Pikachu!"

"Pika!"

After dropping their luggage off at their vacation home, Ash and Pikachu made a beeline for Kukui's lab. As coincidence would have it, it wasn't too far from the house,

near Ten Carat Hill.

To say Ash was surprised by the lab's appearance would be an understatement. It looked nothing like Oak's ranch, being much smaller in comparison. The woodwork was worn out, the roof looking like it had been replaced numerous times.

"Looks like Kukui needs to do some home improvement, huh Pikachu?"

"Pika."

"Well, we have an errand to run. Lets drop this egg off and go exploring."

Too excited to sit still, Ash knocked on the door rapidly.

"Coming! You don't need to knock so much."

To Ash's surprise, a young tanned woman with white hair answered the door. Fortunately, he managed to quickly compose himself.

"Hi, I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. I have a gift from Professor Oak for Professor Kukui. Would that be you?"

The woman laughed lightly.

"Sorry, but that's not me. I'm his wife Burnet. You just missed him though, I'm afraid. He just went up to Iki Town for a meeting with Kahuna Hala."

"Kahuna?"

"I would take the egg for you, but I need to catch the ferry back to Akala Island. Iki Town is just North of here, follow Route 1 and you should get there in a few

minutes."

"Thanks, Burnet."

"Pikachu!"

Burnett waved them off before heading for the Marina.

True to her word, Ash and Pikachu arrived at Iki Town before long. Compared to Hau'oli City, it was absolutely tiny, with only a few small buildings and a small amount of people wandering about.

"Alright, Pikachu. Lets go find the Professor! Shouldn't be too hard!"

"Pika!"

Unfortunately for Ash, it was. Everyone he asked hadn't seen either Kukui or Hala all day, and before long they had checked all over town. Defeated, Ash and Pikachu

slumped to the ground at the edge of town.

"Ah Man! We'll never find the Professor at this rate."

"Pikachuuu."

Right as he was about to give up and go home, Ash caught something out of the corner of his eye.

A blonde woman in white clothes and a large hat was standing at the edge of town, her bag rustling. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, she hurried

off out of town.

"Hey, maybe she knows where Kukui is. Come on, Pikachu!"

"Pika!"

It wasn't long before Ash found the lady at a nearby bridge, cowering in fear. A horde of Spearow were swooping down, pecking at some creature Ash had never seen

before.

"Hey, are you alright?"

The girl turned to Ash, fear showing all over her face.

"Please save Nebby! I only turned around for a second and he's already gotten himself into trouble."

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Pika-CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Large bolts of lightning shot from the rodent's body, hitting the flock of Spearow and drawing their attention.

"Great job, Pikachu. You keep them busy while I get Nebby."

"Pika?"

"Don't worry, l'll be fine."

Before either of them could stop him, Ash dashed onto the bridge, dodging the swooping Spearow before reaching the Pokémon. Before he could scoop him up and turn

around, the Spearow came back around pecking at him and forcing him to kneel. Pikachu tried to help from a far, but to no avail

"Pew! Pew!"

Without warning, Nebby unleashed a large burst of energy, dispersing the Spearow and destroying the bridge, sending it and Ash falling to the river below.

"Nebby!"

"Pika!"

"Koko!

Before anyone could react, a large figure swooped down, picking up Ash and Nebby and returning them safely to the ground. Ash looked up to find a mysterious Pokémon staring him down, nodding before flying off.

"I can't believe it! Tapu Koko just saved youu himself! A guardian deity rarely leaves their home."

"Tapu Koko? Guardian Deity?"

"Pika?"

"Hey, what's that in your hand?"

"Huh?"

Ash opened the palm he didn't know he had closed to find a sparkling stone, shimmering in the bright sunlight.

**To Be Continued...**


	2. A Guardian's Gift

Chapter 2: A Guardian's Gift

"Huh? Where did this come from?"

The girl walked over to him, struggling to put Nebby back into her bag.

"I forgot to introduce myself earlier. My name is Lillie. Thank you so much for saving Nebby, I would feel awful if something happened to him."

Ash looked up at her, smiling sheepishly.

"Heh, it was nothing. I do stuff like that all the time."

Just then he began to panic, realizing the egg was no longer in his hands.

"Ah! Where'd the egg go! I set it down for a minute, and now I cant find it. Professor Oak will never forgive me!"

Lillie tapped his shoulder, getting his attention long enough to see that Lillie had picked it up.

"I figured this might be important, so I made sure to put it somewhere safe. Here you go."

Ash sighed in relief.

"Thanks. Say, you wouldn't happen to know where Professor Kukui is, would you?"

"Not really, I'm looking for him myself. When I heard he was in Iki Town, I thought I would find him, but Nebby here seemed drawn to the Ruins

over there," Lillie replied, pointing to where the bridge once stood.

Ash sighed sadly.

"Man, that guy is harder to find than a needle in a haystack."

"Come on, lets get back to town. Maybe he and Hala are back by now."

Ash nodded, and the two and Pikachu headed back to town.

Once they reached the town, the found two people Ash had never seen before. One was a young man wearing an open white coat and glasses,

while the other was much older with the build of a sumo wrestler. The first man was pleased when he saw Lillie.

"Ah, Lillie, glad to see you. Burnet called a while ago and told me you were looking for me. And who is this fella?"

"I'm Ash from Pallet Town. Who are you."

The man flashed a bright grin.

"Why, I'm no other than Pokémon move extraordinare, Professor Kukui! I've taken so many attacks head on I'm like a Metapod using Harden, Whoo!"

Ash sweatdropped at Kukui's mannerisms, but quickly changed face when he realized this was the man he was looking for.

"Ah! I've been looking all over for you! Professor Oak wanted me to give you this Pokémon egg!"

"Oh really? Well then, lets see."

Ash handed over the egg, which Kukui inspected thoroughly.

"Hmm, can't wait to see what this pokemon hatches into. Well, thanks Ash. Oh, I see you've met my assistant Lillie?"

"Assistant?!"

Lillie smiled at Ash's reaction.

"You see, Kukui and Burnet have been allowing me to live with them for the past three months after they found Nebby and I washed up on the beach next to their house.

"As a way to pay them back, Kukui has allowed me to help him in his lab conducting research."

"I've tried to tell her that wasn't necessary, but she insisted. Of course, I can't deny that she's been a big help."

Just then, the older man noticed the stone gleaming from Ash's pocket.

"Excuse me, Ash, but may I ask where you got that stone from?"

And so Ash and Lillie explained the whole series of events to them, from Ash saving Nebby to Tapu Koko saving Ash.

"And when I landed, this Sparkling stone was in my hand."

Everyone's eyes (except Lillie's) widened at this.

"Incredible! To receive a gift from a guardian is rare, but for a foreigner to receive one is remarkable. Tapu Koko must have great faith in you."

The older man stepped forward.

"Excuse me, Ash, but may I have borrow your stone? I promise you may have it back by tomorrow evening at the latest."

Ash stepped back in hesitation.

"Um, no offense, but if this kind of occurrence is as rare as you guys say, then I don't want to give it away so easily. Especially to someone I don't even know the name of. "

The gentleman laughed at this.

"Fair enough, since I know your name you should know mine. I am Hala, Kahuna of Melemele Island, chosen by Tapu Koko himself to protect it. And don't worry, I

promise my intentions will bring out your stone's greatest potential."

"Well, alright then."

Still reluctant, Ash handed over the stone to Hala, who nodded.

"Hey Ash, why don't you take one of our Alolan starters as thanks?"

This made Ash's eyes go wide.

"Really? You mean it."

Kukui nodded.

"Its the least I can do to thank you for saving Lillie's life. Don't you agree, Hala?"

Hala roared in laughter, nodding his head in agreement.

"A splendid idea, Kukui! After all, I can tell from the looks of his Pikachu that this boy knows how to take care of Pokémon."

Hala rubbed Pikachu's head, illiciting a small "chu" in response.

"Well, in that case I would love one!"

Hala disappeared into his house for a moment, returning with three Pokeballs.

"Alright, here are your choices."

Emerging in a bright flash of light were three Pokémon, each staring at Ash intently.

"First we have Rowlett, the grass type. Although hard working, they are known to sleep at inappropriate times."

"Second is Litten, the fire type. Although he may look unassuming, he can be quite fierce in battle."

"Lastly, we have little Popplio, the water type. Full of boundless energy, they love to bring smiles to others."

"Now Ash, which one do you choose?"

Ash considered his choices for a minute, then spoke.

"I choose Litten!"

While Litten seemed surprised by this decision, everyone nodded in agreement.

"A wise decision, Ash. But you see, in Alola your starter must accept you as well."

Litten stared up at Ash, considering the boy in front of him. Then, with a sly smile, ran up and nuzzled Ash's leg, purring happily. Ash laughed, picking up the fire monster into his arms.

"Welcome to the team, Litten."

"Pika Pi!"

"Litten, Lit."

"Wait!"

Everyone turned to see two other boys running onto the screen. One was a light skinned boy wearing a hat, while the other was darker skinned.

"We're not too later, are we?"

"I told you not to have so many malasadas, Hau."

"Aw, but they're so good!"

Everyone laughed at the two's antics.

"Not to worry, you two. Your Agility attack allowed you to reach town just in time! Ash already chose his, but we still have two left."

"You can go ahead, Hau. I already know which one you want to pick."

Hau nodded, before turning around to his selections.

"I choose you, Rowlett!"

The green owl hooted in delight, flying onto Hau's shoulder. Hala nodded with a hearty laugh.

"A wise choice indeed! As for you, Sun, I'm afraid Popplio is all that's left."

At this, Popplio bowed its head. Always the one nobody wanted. To its surprise, though, Sun gently approached him, holding out his hand and smiling warmly.

"Hey there, buddy, its okay. Your exactly who I wanted to begin with. You and I are going straight to the top."

Its moral boosted by Sun's kind words, Popplio jumped into his arms, nuzzling his chest. Kukui sniffed, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Seeing such bonds between trainer and Pokémon... its just...its just... Oh I can't contain it!"

With that the dam broke, tears spewing everywhere. Hala meanwhile, turned to the three trainers.

"Now that you three have chosen your new friends, I entrust that you will look after each other. Treat them not as tools of battle, but as close friends, and may Tapu Koko smile brightly on you all."

"Yes, Sir!"

With that, everyone dispersed to show their new Pokémon to their families, excited for whatever lay ahead.

"Are you sure no one else is around?"

"James, I told you I've already triple checked the whole perimeter. There isn't anyone around for miles."

"See, Jimmie, I told you this old abandoned mega mart would be the perfect base of operations."

"Alright, Meowth, you've made your point. Now let's contact the boss!"

After a few moments, the monitor lit up, revealing Giovanni's piercing stare. The three bowed before him.

"Sir, Team Rocket reporting team 134 reporting, sir!"

"Excellent. I take it you have managed to establish a base already?"

"Yes. No one has been here in years, itll be the perfect place to begin our operations."

"Excellent. Now remember, your main objective is to gather Z Crystals to send back to base for analysis. Catching that Pikachu you've been after should not be your concern."

"Understood, sir."

"Excellent. Report to me in one month's time."

With that, the transmission cut out, leaving the trio to begin plotting their next move.

A/N: And another chapter done! Sorry these first few chapters will be long, but I'm mainly trying to set up the plot. And our first rivals have entered the scene, one of whom

even being the main character from the game! I chose the male player because the anime hasn't really focused on them, giving them cameos at best while their female

counterparts are either traveling companions or not even mentioned. The only exception I can think of is Jimmy from The Legend of Thunder, but even then that was his only

real role. So I decided to rectify that with Sun! I chose the starters for these three based off of my first run of Pokémon moon, with Litten being my starter, Rowlett being Hau's

starter, and Popplio being the starter that was strong against mine. And now we have Team Rocket in the mix, on their own quest for the Z-Crystals. Next time, we have the

festival and more. Smell ya later!


	3. A New Journey Begins

Chapter 3: A New Journey Begins

After saying goodbye to his new friends, Ash, Pikachu, and Litten headed back to their vacation home to show his mom his new Pokémon.

Delila and Mr. Mime on the back porch, exhausted.

"Phew! Glad that's over with. How about some ice cold lemonade, Mimey?"

"Mime Mime!"

"Mom, I'm home!"

Delila looked up to see Ash running down the dirt road from Iki Town, Pikachu and Litten following close behind.

"Ash, you're back later than expected. Oh, and I see you've met a new friend."

"Heh, yeah well that's a pretty long story."

And so Ash told her everything, from saving Nebby and meeting Tapu Koko to meeting Kakui and receiving Litten. Delila just shook her head and smiled.

"That's my Ash, always putting others before himself. But I must ask, why Litten?"

Litten snarled at this, while Ash merely shrugged.

"It looked cool."

"Well, I certainly agree that it looks cool, and even cuter!"

Litten calmed down, but continued to silently glare at Delila for her earlier remark.

"Well, I'm going to hit the hay. Its been a long day, and I want to get to Iki Town bright and early tomorrow!"

"Alright, Ash. Goodnight."

"Night, mom!"

"Goodnight, Pikachu. Goodnight, Litten."

"Pika Pika!"

"Ten."

The next morning, Ash set off first thing after breakfast, making a beeline for Iki Town, bursting with excitement. Hala had called the house earlier, letting him know that his gift was ready, and Ash wanted to see what it was immediately.

It wasn't long before the three of them climbed up the steps into town. Hala, Kukui, and Lillie waved him over from the small fighting stage in the middle of town.

"Ash, Whoo! Why don't ya teleport over here so we can give you your surprise?"

"Yeah!"

Ash ran over to the stage, literally jumping onto it. Professor Kukui and Hala laughed.

"Ah, the youth of today, so energetic. I remember you were quite like that when you were his age, eh Kukui?"

"What? I'm not that old!"

Everyone had a good laugh before Hala stepped forward towards Ash, opening his hand to reveal a strange, black bracelet. Ash could only stare in confusion.

"My surprise is a bracelet?"

Hala gave a long, hearty laugh.

"To the unknowing eye, perhaps. But in Alola, these bracelets are used to unleash your Pokémon's full potential. You see, when used in conjunction with Z-Crystals, this

Z-Power Ring will allow your Pokémon to unleash a super powerful attack."

Ash's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Well, well, well, looks like we've found our target."

Everyone turned in shock to see Jesse, James, and Meowth standing at the edge of town. Ash grinded his teeth in anger.

"Not you three."

"Who are you?"

The terrible trio laughed before beginning their model.

"Prepare for Trouble!"

"And Make It Double!"

"To Protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To Denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jesse!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight, fight, fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

Before anyone could react, James opened an arm out from his backpack, grabbing the Z-Power Ring from Hala's hand and dropping it into James's.

"If this ring is as powerful as you say, then its just the ticket we're looking for! Thank you so much for your gratuitous donation, but we must get going."

"Hey! You won't get away with this!"

Before Ash could confront the three, Hala held him back.

"Ash, please allow me to handle these intruders."

"But-"

"As the Kahuna of this island, it is my job to deal with any threats. Please, allow me to do my appointed duty."

Ash nodded.

"Alright."

"So, the old man wants to get on da action, huh?"

"Go, Mime Jr.!"

"You too, Seviper!"

"Crawbrawler, Lets show these miscreants not to mess with us!"

The three Pokémon appeared in a brilliant flash of light, including one Ash had never seen before.

"A Crabrawler?"

"It doesn't matter what Pokémon you send out, Team Rocket will knock them all out! Seviper, Poison Sting!"

"Psybeam, Mime Jr!"

"Crabrawler, use Focus Energy. Maintain your ground!"

Seviper sent out several poison shots from it mouth, while Mime Jr. sent out a wave of psychic energy. Despite these attacks, Crabrawler stood firm, focusing deeply.

"Alright Seviper, Wrap Attack!"

"Crabrawler, use vice grip on its tail!"

As soon as Seviper got close, Crabrawler grabbed it by the tail, clenching so tight that the snake yowled in pain.

"Now use Seismic Toss!"

Spinning around rapidly, Crabrawler built up Momentum before releasing Seviper, sending it right into Mime Jr and Team Rocket, knocking them all back.

"Why, you little-"

"Lets finish this off with our Z-Power, Crabrawler!"

"Crabrawler!"

To Ash's surprise, Hala's Z-Power Ring began to glow as he began pumping the air rapidly, empowering Crabrawler.

"All Out Pummeling!"

First, Crabrawler pumped the air rapidly, sending out energy fists that relentlessly pummeled Team Rocket and their Pokémon. Lastly, it ran at them rapidly, hitting them so hard it sent them all flying.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

With that, the trio and their Pokémon went soaring into the sky, disappearing with a twinkling star.

Worn out, Hala knelt down, sweating profusely. Ash's Z-Power Ring fell down to Earth, where he picked it up gently.

"Wow, Hala, that was amazing. But what was that."

"That, Ash, was what I was explaining to you."

Opening up a compartment in his ring, Hala brought out a small crystal and held it up to Ash. Embedded into it was the symbol of a fist.

"This is a Z-Crystal, the secret to what you just saw. With it, you can empower your Pokémon to use its most powerful attack. But it also takes a lot out of you, so you can only use it once per battle."

"WOAH! Where can I find some?"

"You need to go through the Island Trial Challenge."

"Island Trial Challenge?"

Before Hala could continue, Kukui stopped him.

"You rest up Hala, I've got this."

Hala nodded. Before Ash could say anymore, kukui stuck four fingers in his face.

"Four! Four Islands make up this beautiful region we call Alola. And throughout these islands, trial captains have set up all kinds of challenges to test your bond with your Pokémon. Pass, and be rewarded with a Z-Crystal to call your own."

Ash's eyes went wide with excitement.

"Woah! That sounds so totally awesome!"

"What do you say, Ash? Think you're up to the challenge?"

Ash nodded excitedly.

"You know it! What about you guys? Ready for a new adventure?"

"Pika Pi!"

"Litten!"

Hala laughed heartedly. In the distance, Tapu Koko's cry could be heard.

"If you ask me, I think Tapu Koko is cheering you on as well."

"Oh, and Ash, stop by my lab later today. I have something I think you'll enjoy."

"Sounds great, Professor!"

With that, Ash headed back for home, his new goal in mind. He had a new kind challenge to take on, and he was ready for a challenge.

"Look out Alola, here comes Ash Ketchum!"


	4. Evolution of the Pokedex

Chapter 4: Evolution of The Pokedex

As soon as he made it back home, Ash told his mom about his new journey. Delila chuckled as Ash finished his story.

"That's my Ash, always finding adventure no matter where we go."

"Well mom, a Pokémon Master's journey is never over. Isn't that right, Pikachu?"

"Chu."

"Well, you know that we'll always be cheering you on. Isn't that right, Mimey?"

"Mime, Mime."

"Thanks, guys. Come on, Pikachu. Let's go see Professor Kukui."

"Pika!"

"Good luck, Ash! I love you!"

"Thanks, Mom! Love you too!"

After grabbing a quick snack, Ash headed out the door. He saw Lillie walking running down the road, screaming.

"Get away, get away, get away!"

"Lillie, what's wrong?"

"Its horrible! Make it go away!"

"Huh?"

Ash turned to see a small avian Pokémon, trying to peck at Lillie from behind.

"A new Pokémon?"

Pointed his Pokedex at the Pokémon, Ash searched for information.

**Pikipek, the woodpecker Pokémon. This Pokémon feeds on berries, whose leftover seeds become the ammunition for the attacks it fires from its mouth.**

"Woah, I've got to catch that! Pikachu, Thunder Shock, now!"

"PikaCHUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Bolts of electricity hit Pikipek, turning its attention towards Ash.

"Iron tail Pikachu, now!"

Once the Pikipek was close enough, Pikachu jumped out of the way of its Peck attack before retaliating by hitting it with its glowing tail, slamming it into the ground, eyes

replaced with swirls.

"Alright, now to capture it. Pokeball, go!"

The hit Pikipek on the beak, bouncing back before opening up and absorbing it in. The ball shook twice before clicking, confirming the capture.

"Alright, I just caught a Pikipek!"

"Pika Pi!"

After pocketing his new capture, Ash turned around to console Lillie.

"Are you alright, Lillie?"

Panting heavily, Lillie looked up to Ash's outstretched hand, composing herself as Ash pulled her up.

"Yes, thank you. I'm sorry, its just that Nebby got out of the bag and disturbed Pikipek's lunch and...Oh my, NEBBY!"

"Pew!"

Both turned around to see Nebby bouncing towards them.

"You! You know you shouldn't do things like that! What if someone saw you? Now get in the bag!"

Nebby screeched loudly, making Lillie pout, but complied. Satisfied, Lillie turned back to Ash.

"I'll bet your on your way to the lab, right? Come on, I'll go with you. He said he had a new assignment for me."

"Sounds great."

They reached the lab in a few minutes. From an open window, they could hear Professor Kukui's booming voice.

"Oh yeah, Rockruff! Lets go! Give it everything you've got! My body is ready. Woo!"

"Uuuuuuuuh?"

"Pika?"

While Ash and Pikachu were confused by this outburst, Lillie just shook her head.

"Oh dear, not again. We just replaced that roof."

She turned back to Ash.

"Don't worry, he's just doing his usual study of Pokémon moves. Sounds like he's finishing up."

They stepped onto the porch and rang the doorbell.

"Professor, its Ash and Lillie!"

"Huh? Oh, right! Hang on just a second!"

Lots of scuffling and rearranging could be heard for several minutes before Kukui finally answered the door, an adorable little Rockruff at his feet wagging its tail.

"Ah, Ash, Lillie, come in. I've got something you'll both enjoy."

Ash and Lillie stepped into the building. The first thing that Ash noticed was how casual it looked. As opposed to Professor Oak's lab, which was full of strange machines

and what not, this place was very low tech, with a telephone and teleporter to the side. To the left of the room was a tank for water Pokémon, and some stairs leading downstairs.

"Welcome to my home, Ash! What do you think?"

"Its, um, well...its..."

"Smaller than you're used to?"

"Uh, yeah. That?"

Kukui laughed at that.

"Ah, don't worry about offending me. See, the way I figure it is that the best way to conduct research is to do it in the wild, so I figured what's the point of filling it with technology I'll never know how to use anyway?"

"Hey, that makes a lot of sense."

"Come on, the surprise is waiting downstairs."

Following the Professor, Ash and Lillie climbed down the stairs into a more traditional laboratory. A medium sized computer sat on the far wall, as well as a TV and recording equipment.

"Alright, you guys sit tight. This will take just a second. Oh, and Ash, I'll need your Pokedex."

"Uh, sure."

Ash and Lillie took a seat on the nearby couch, while Kukui walked over to his computer and began inputting numbers and codes. A few minutes passed by before he was finished.

"Alright, now we just need to wait for it... wait for it...now!"

A bright burst of light filled the room, momentarily blinding Ash and Lillie. When it died down, a small Rotom was shown buzzing around.

"Tom, Rotom, Tom."

"A Rotom?"

Kukui nodded before turning to the small ball of electricity, a tweaked version of Ash's Pokedex in his hand.

"Alright, Rotom, do your stuff!"

"Tom, Rotom."

Without warning, the electric Pokémon flew into a port on the Dex, causing the lights to flicker as it merged with the machine.

For a second, nothing more happened. But then, to Ash's surprise, The Pokedex grew a pair of eyes, and arms, flying around joyously before landing in Ash's arms.

"Zzzt, Alola Ash, I am your new Pokedex. Pleased to meet you."

"AAAH!"

"Pika!"

Ash dropped the possessed device, practically jumping off of the couch in fright. Fortunately, it also possessed the ability to float, gently hovering in midair with an

annoyed expression.

"Zzzzzt- Hey, easy on the goods!"

"Uh, sorry. I'm not used to seeing a Pokémon that talks besides Team Rocket's Meowth."

Professor Kukui walked over, smiling a cheesy grin.

"Pretty cool, huh? By connecting himself to the Pokedex's speech vocal compatibilities, Rotom here can connect with humans and Pokémon!"

"Thatzzz correct. I represent the latest evolution of understanding between humans and Pokémon."

"Of course, this is new technology here, so I haven't quite worked out all of the kinks yet. That's where you come in, Ash."

"Me?"

"I want you to take it on your Alola journey, test its limits. This Rotom could revolutionize Pokémon-Human relations as we know it, but I need to know what all it can do first. Besides, it'll help you get used to the region."

"ZZzt, correct. Not only can I update any and all information about Pokémon, but I can also keep track of and map our location in Alola. With me you'll never get lost!"

"Really? Awesome!"

"So, what do you say, Ash?"

"Professor, I accept! Welcome to the team, Rotom!"

"Hey, I'm just happy to be along for the ride."

"Pika!"

"Why thank you, Pikachu."

"Oh, and Lillie? There's something I want to discuss with you."

"Huh? Oh, alright professor."

After thanking Kukui for the gift, Ash and Pikachu set off on their journey.

"So Rotom, anything interesting we should check out before going to our first trial."

"Oh, tons! Lets see, in Hau'oli City itself there's the Battle Buffet, the Shopping Mall, Marina, and a shop that sells wonderful Malassadas! And if you need a refresher on the basics of Pokémon training, there's also the Trainer School on Route 1!"

"Wow, those all sound amazing!"

"Pika Pika!"

"Hold it right there, twerp!"

"Oh, not this again..."

Sure enough, Team Rocket stood blocking the way.

"Don't worry, we're in a bit of a rush so we'll make this quick."

"Forget it! You're never getting Pikachu."

To Ash's surprise, the crooks laughed at him.

"Don't worry, we're not after him. We want your fancy new Pokedex."

"What?"

"Rumor has it that old man Kukui has been working on some kind of fancy-schmancy Pokedex, and looks like you've got it. So fork it over or we'll take it by force!"

"Never! I'll-"

"Zzzt, Ash! Down here."

"Huh?"

Rotom motioned Ash to come closer, which he did. Quietly he whispered in Ash's ear a plan. Ash smiled before standing up.

"You know what? You can have him."

"Huh?"

Team Rocket was caught off guard as Ash walked over and handed the Rotomdex over to James.

"I mean, I'm just a kid. I'll probably break such a priceless piece of machinery. But you guys will be able to take great care of it, I'm sure."

James smirked at this.

"Looks like someone has finally come to his sense. Thank you for making this easy, twerp!"

He then turned his attention to Rotom.

"Alright, time to test out this puppy. Rotom, search for Gengar!"

Rotom was silent for a moment, before finding the information inquired and begun to read.

"Zzzt, Gengar, The Shadow Pokémon. It is said to emerge from darkness to steal the lives of those who become lost in mountains."

This unnerved the trio

"Hide in...shadows...?"

"Steal lives?"

James was the first to recompose himself.

"Oh, get a grip! So we won't catch a Gengar. Lets see, how about Driftloon?"

"Zzzt, Driftloon, the Balloon Pokémon. Stories go that it grabs the hands of small children and drags them away to the afterlife. It dislikes heavy children."

Now the trio was starting to shake.

"Um, alright, a bit unnerving, but no matter. Yamask?"

"Zzzt, Yamask, the Spirit Pokémon. Each of them carries a mask that used to be its face when it was human. Sometimes they look at it and cry."

That was the final straw for Team Rocket. In almost lighting-speed, they shoved the device back into Ash's arms.

"Here, keep it! Good luck sleeping with those nightmarish entries."

Before anything else could be said, the three took off running, leaving Ash and Rotom smirking.

"Uh, Ash?"

Ash turned around to see a quivering Lillie coming up the road, holding the egg from the night before in her arms.

"Hey Lillie, what's up?"

"Um, those things Rotom said. They're...they're not true, are they?"

Ash and Rotom chuckled at this.

"Zzzt, not even a little bit! I just thought it might be fun to scare those three and to teach them a lesson about taking things that aren't theirs."

Lillie sighed in relief.

"That's good. Anyway Ash, I wanted to ask you something. You see, Professor Kukui entrusted the Pokémon egg to me to look after, but I'm afraid to travel by myself, and since you were going on your island challenge, well I-"

"You want to come with me?"

"Um, yes. If that's alright."

Ash smiled warmly.

"Of course it is. The more the merrier, right Pikachu?"

"Pika Pika!"

Lillie blushed lightly.

"Oh, thank you Ash! I hope by visiting the resting places of the guardians, I can figure out more about Nebbie."

"Pew!"

Lillie's bag rustle, as if Nebby was voicing its agreement.

"Come on, Adventure awaits!"

With their new traveling companion in tow, Ash and Pikachu set off on their journey, ready to face any challenges that came their way.


	5. Ace Student Ilima

Chapter 5: Ace Student Ilima

After a quick stop at the house, Ash and Lillie set off for Hau'oli city, strolling through Route 1.

"Look out, Alola! Future Pokémon Master, coming through!"

"Pika Pi!"

"Zzzt, Yeah, lets do it!"

Lillie smiled at the three's enthusiasm.

"You sure are confident. I wish I had your level of confidence. Then I would always be able to protect Nebby, no matter what."

"Pew!"

Nebby rustled in Lillie's bag, as if to voice its disagreement, but to no avail.

"TAUROS!"

Ash and Lillie straightened up in fear. There, blocking their path, was a large, angry Tauros ready to charge. Before either of them could react, the beast charged, horns ready to pierce, when suddenly:

"Eevee, use Double kick!"

An Eeeve sprinted out from nowhere, catching up to Tauros before dealing two swift kicks to his hind leg, tripping it up and causing it to kneel.

"Iron Tail, Eevee!"

As the tauros struggled to stand, Eevee hit it with its glowing tail once more. Realizing it was beaten, the Tauros ran off into the forest.

"Ash, Lillie? Are you two okay?"

"Good job, Eevee! Return."

Running down the road was Hala, followed by a young dark skinned man with pink hair. Eevee ran over to its trainer, running up his arm to nuzzle his cheek.

"That Tauros broke was on a rampage in Hau'oli. Ilima and I managed to calm it down, but something scared it off and sent it running."

The younger man, now identified as Ilima, frowned slightly.

"Such a shame, really. I was hoping to catch it and add him to my team. Oh well, maybe next time."

He then turned to Ash and Lillie.

"Are you two alright? Tauros can be quite troublesome."

"We're alright. Thank you, Mr. Ilima"

"Just Ilima is fine."

"I'm Ash, and that's Lillie."

Ilima then turned to Hala.

"If everything is under control, then I must be going. I have a demonstration to teach at the Trainer School, and I do not wish to be late."

He then turned to Ash and Lillie.

"Tell me, Ash. Are you a Pokémon trainer as well?"

"Sure am."

Ilima smiled.

"Excellent. My demonstration requires a partner, and I was wondering if you would be willing to help me out. It shouldn't take long, an hour at most Id reckon."

Ash smiled brightly, before nodding.

"Sure! After all, its the least that I could do since you saved us."

"Excellent! Its just up the road there."

Hala stepped forward.

"I wish you the both the best of luck, but I regrettably must leave as well. I need to make sure Tauros didn't do any damage in the city."

"Bye Hala!"

"Farwell."

"Alola!"

Hala gave them a quick wave before vanishing into the distance. Ilima then turned to his new friends.

"Come on, the school is this way."

True to his word, they were on the campus within minutes. A few youngsters and preschoolers lined the courtyard, playing with their Pokémon.

"Hey guys, Ilima's back!"

Almost instantly they were swarmed by little kids, hugging Ilima and petting Eevee, who ate up the attention. Their teacher approached them

"Ah, Ilima, right on time as usual. And who might they be?"

"This is Ash and Lillie. Ash will be helping me with our demonstration."

At this, Ash became confused.

"Say, that reminds me. What kind of demonstration is this?"

"Why, a battle demonstration, of course. These trainers will be going on their own journey one day, and we want to do everything we can to prepare them."

Ash became pumped up at this.

"Now you're speaking my language! You're on!"

Lillie became flustered at this.

"Um, are you sure it'll be alright? I just don't like to see Pokémon get hurt is all."

The teacher laughed heartedly.

"Don't worry, its perfectly fine. You see, trained Pokémon don't really care if they lose, as long as they give it their all."

"That's right, Lillie. So, are you ready Ash?"

"You know it!"

After a few minutes of preparation, Ash and Ilima stood facing eachother on the center battlefield, with the teacher acting as referee.

"This one on one battle between Ash and Ilima will now begin. Ash will make the first move."

"Alright, Pikachu. Ready?"

"Chu!"

"Show them your stuff, Eevee."

"Vee!"

Both Pokémon jumped down from their trainer's shoulders, ready and raring to fight.

"Begin!"

"Alright Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

"Dodge it and use Tackle, Eevee!"

Pikachu ran at Eevee at super fast speeds, trying to hit it, but Eevee jumped out of the way, evading the attack before ramming Pikachu head on. Neither one was ready to give up.

Suddenly, though, Eevee began to slow down, sparks flying from its fur as it gave a pained grunt. This made Lillie confused.

"What's wrong with Eevee?"

"He's been paralyzed."

The teacher turned around to face her students.

"You see class, when a Pokémon is paralyzed, it may not be able to move at all. There are several ways that this can happen, normally through electric moves like Thunderbolt

or Thunderwave. But some Pokémon like Pikachu have the ability static, that has a chance of Paralyzing your opponent when physical contact is made."

The class oohed and aahed, some even jotting down notes.

"Hang in there, Eevee! Swift!"

"Thunderbolt, Pikachu!"

Managing to fight off its condition, Eevee swung its tail back and forth, sending stars flying at Pikachu. Pikachu was ready, however, and sent several bolts of lightning flying at

Eevee, dispersing the swift and hitting him dead on.

"Eevee, Iron Tail!"

"You too, Pikachu!"

The two Pokémon clashed in the center, glowing tails clashing as they fought for supremacy. At first they were evenly matched, but over time Pikachu begin to win out,

slowly pushing Eevee back before managing to land the finishing blow, pushing Eevee into the ground.

"Eevee is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner, and the victory goes to Ash!"

"Way to go, Pikachu!"

"Pila Pika!"

Ilima smiled, walking over to his defeated Pokémon and cradling as it came around.

"Vee…"

Ilima then turned to Ash.

"That was a good battle. Thank you, Ash."

The two shook hands as the class clapped for them. Lillie walked over to them.

"Congratulations, Ash. That was a hard fought battle."

"Pika Pika!"

Lillie smiled as Pikachu pouted.

"You did great as well, Pikachu."

Pikachu smiled at its recognition. Ilima then spoke up again.

"Ash, are you by chance taking the Island trial?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

Ilia smiled.

"Because I am the first trial captain you'll face."

Ash's jaw dropped.

"Really?"

The teacher nodded.

"Yes, our very own Ilima is now a trial captain. We couldn't be prouder!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name, Miss..."

"Please, call me Emily."

Ilima turned towards them

"Tell you what? Since we'll be going the same way anyway, why don't we travel together? Until my trial place, at least."

"Hey, the more the merrier, right Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

"Well uh, I suppose it'd be alright."

Ilima smiled.

"Its settled, then. Come on, I'll give you a tour of Hau'oli City."

With a quick goodbye to the trainer school, the three friends set off for their next destination.


	6. Skulls and Roses

Chapter 6: Skulls and Roses.

After a quick stop at the Pokémon Center to heal their Pokémon, the new trio made their way into Hau'oli City proper, Ilima taking the lead and Lillie bringing up the rear.

"So Ilima, you've studies in Kalos?"

"Yes, I spent a semester in College there. Such a lovely region, and what a beauty Mega Evolution is."

"You know, I was runner up in the league there."

"Were you now? How interesting. Oh, would you look at that, we're here."

"Woah."

Ash had to stop for a second to take it all in. Although he had seen a small portion of Alola's largest city after landing, nothing could compare to the up close and personal view he now had. The early evening sun cast an orange glow over the island, glinting off the tall buildings. Pokémon, both wild and trained, roamed freely throughout.

"Woah, this place is awesome!"

"Pika Pi!"

Ilima smiled at their excitement. Just then, Lillie stepped forward.

"Um, if you guys don't mind, I think I'll catch up with you later. I need to do some clothes shopping."

"Alright, Lillie. Catch up with you later."

The two waved goodbye as Lillie set off for the shopping mall.

"Come on, Ash. I'll give you the full tour."

"Yeah!"

Still spooked from their encounter with Rotom, the Team Rocket Trio stumbled into the shopping mall, hungry and out of breath.

"Is...is that freaky Pokémon still following us?"

James looked behind him, and seeing nothing sighed in relief.

"It looks like we've lost them. Ooh, that stupid rotom and its freaky Pokedex entries. I can never look at my Yamask the same way again!"

Before anything else could be said, a loud rumbling came from their stomachs.

"Running in fear sure builds up an appetite."

James strutted over to the directory, scanning for a restaurant.

"It looks like there's a place on the second floor called The Battle Buffet."

"I don't care what da place is called, as long as they have good grub."

"Then its settled. To the Battle Buffet!"

"Right!"

The three strutted up the staircase and into the restaurant. The receptionist greeted them with a warm smiled.

"Welcome to the Battle Buffet, where you can not only train your Pokémon, but get a good meal while you're at it!"

Jesse returned the smile.

"Why thank you! Table for 2, please!"

"Ahem!"

"Three, table for 3."

"No problem! That'll be 1200 dollars per participant."

The two humans eagerly took out their wallets, ready to pay...

Only to find them completely empty, leaving the two completely embarrassed. Jesse quickly tried to save face.

"Um, we seem to be a little strapped for cash. Do you accept IOUs?"

The receptionist's face darkened.

"No cash?"

Jesse and James grew nervous. Suddenly, the receptionist's face did a complete 180, her eyes glowing with a bright hatred.

"YOU SCOUNDRELS HAD BEST LEAVE NOW BEFORE I CALL SECURITY AND HAVE THEM ESCORT YOU OUT PERSONALLY!"

Seeing that she meant business, the three fled in terror.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

The receptionist managed to calm down, smiling as a young couple walked in.

"Table for two?"

After an extensive tour of the city, Ash and Ilima sat outside the local Malasada shop talking about their respective travels.

"I must say, Ilima, out of all the regions I've been to, Alola is by far the most gorgeous. I've never seen a region such in tune with nature."

"Why thank you, Ash. Its always a pleasure to see foreigners take an interest in our culture. I must warn you, though. Trials are very different from a gym battle."

"Well, Pikachu and I are ready for anything. Isn't that right, buddy?"

"Pikachu!"

"Help!"

"That sounds like Lillie! Come on!"

"Right!"

The two ran as fast as they could, finding Lillie struggling for her egg with three people in skull based attire, two men and a woman. What was especially odd wasthat, despite being outnumbered, Lillie was able to keep her hold.

"Let go!"

"Come on, lady! Give us the egg!"

"No!"

"Pretty please?"

"Zipp!"

"Sorry, Rapp."

"Hey! What are you punks doing?"

The trio turned around to see Ash and Ilima running towards them.

"Why don't you two butt out of this?"

"Help, guys! They're trying to steal my egg!"

Ilima grinded his teeth in annoyance.

"Not these punks."

"You know these guys?"

"No, but I know who they work for. They're part of Team Skull, a gang of no good criminals who do nothing but try and create chaos. _Try_ being the key word, because they're too incompetent to be any good at being evil."

This caused the three grunts to get angry.

"Incompetent are we! Come on, guys, lets show them who's boss."

"Right, Tupp!"

"Go, Salandit!"

"Yungoos, you're up!"

"Show them, Zubat!"

"Pikipek, I choose you!"

"Smeargle, you're up!"

In a flash, the five Pokémon appeared on the field. Before anyone could move, however, Rotom flew out and began taking Pictures.

"Ooh, new Pokémon! Lets see..."

He began scanning Salandit for information.

"Salandit, The Toxic Fire Pokémon. A poison and fire type, Salandit lives in volcanoes and dry rock place. They're very dangerous Pokémon that attack after releasing a sweet smelling poisonous gas."

He then turned his attention to Yungoos.

"Yungoos, the loitering Pokémon. It wanders around in a never-ending search for food. At dusk, it collapses from exhaustion and falls asleep on the spot."

The three grunts looked shocked at the talking Pokedex, but recovered quickly.

"Yungoos, use Bite!"

"Poison sting, Salandit!"

"You too, Zubat!"

"Pikipek, use Peck, then Gust!"

"Water gun, Smeargle!"

Yungoos went to Bite Pikipek, only for the bird Pokémon to jump up and begin pecking him relentlessly, causing it to cry out in pain. Zubat swooped in to aid its comrade, sending Poisionous stings flying at its foe, only for them to be blown right back, sending it to the ground. As for Salandit…

It opened its mouth to attack, only to be blasted by water gun, sending it and its comrades right back into their trainers. The three grunts struggled to their feet, only to find Ash and Ilima standing over them.

"If we ever see you causing trouble again, you'll be sorry!"

Relucantly, the three scrambled to their feet and took off.

"You'll be sorry! Just wait until Big Sis hears about this!"

Ash and Ilima shook their heads as the three scrambled off into the distance.

"Are you alright, Lille?"

Lillie nodded her head, smiling.

"I am, thank you."

"You guys alright?"

Everyone turned to see Sun and Hau running up to them

"We heard Lillie scream, and came running."

"We're alright. Team Skull gave us some trouble, but we sent them running."

Sun's eyes narrowed at this.

"Those rotten no-gooders. Why can't they just buzz off."

Hau then turned in shock when he saw Ilima.

"No way, you're Ilima! You're my hero!"

Ilima smiled.

"I see I have a fan."

"Will you battle me? Pretty please?"

Sun glared at his best friend.

"Hey, no fair! I was going to ask that!"

"Heh, sorry Sun."

Ilima smiled warmly.

"How about this, I'll take you both on at once. We'll have a double battle, you two working together against me. Deal?"

"Awesome, I'm in!"

"Works for me."

"Ash, would you mind acting as a referee?"

"You bet!"

The group moved to a wide open space in the middle of the city, giving them plenty of room to battle. A few passerby's stopped to watch.

"Alright, this will be a 2-on-2 Double Battle! The battle will end when both Pokémon on either side will be unable to continue! Everybody ready?"

"I'm ready."

"Lets do this!"

"Popplio and I are raring to go."

"Popplio!"

"Alright, send out your Pokémon!"

"Lets go Rowlett!"

"Popplio, front and center!"

"Smeargle, Yungoos, center stage!"

With all four Pokémon out on the field, the battle began.

"Rowlett, hit him with Razor Leaf!"

"Bubble Beam, Popplio!"

Rowlett flew up into the air before sending out flying leaves, while Popplio did a little twirl before spitting out a stream of bubbles. Ilima smirked before turning to his own Pokémon.

"Yungoos, use Pursuit. Smeargle, use Ember!"

Yungoos nodded, before charging right at Popplio, soldiering through the bubbles before ramming him head on. As for Smeargle, he released a small flame from his mouth, sending Rowlett to the ground.

"Ember one more time! Tacke, Yungoos!"

Once more, the flame hit Rowlett, while Yungoos charged and headbutted both of them, knocking them out.

"Both Rowlett and Popplio are unable to battle! The battle goes to Ilima!"

"Great job, both of you!"

"Yungoos!"

"Smeargle!"

Sun and Hau returned their Pokémon, thanking them for doing their best before turning to Ilima.

"Man, you sure are strong. Now we see why you're a trial captain."

Ilima smiled warmly at them.

"Thank you, but you guys did well also. I look forward to when you undergo my trial."

Hau chuckled nervously, while Sun shook his head.

"Naw, I need to train some more."

"And I need to go eat some more Malassadas!"

Sun watched his friend run off, shaking his head before turning to the others.

"I think I'll hit up the Battle Buffet after a quick trip to the Pokémon center. See you guys later!

Sun waved goodbye before walking off into the distance. Ilima then walked over to his companions.

"So, are we ready to leave?"

"You bet! I cant wait for my first trial!"

"Pika Pi!"

"Good luck, Ash. I'll be rooting you all the way."

"Thanks, Lillie."

With that, the three headed for the Pokémon center, planning to leave the next morning. Ash didn't know what lay ahead, but was ready nonetheless.


	7. Berry Brawling

Chapter 7: Berry Brawling

Ash confidentally walked down Route 2, towards his first trial with Ilima. The Pink haired boy was shortly behind him, his Eevee curled up in a ball asleep

on his head. Lillie brought up the rear, clutching her egg tightly so as not to lose it again.

"You said Verdant Cavern is on the road ahead?"

"Yes, just past Hau'oli Cemetery and The Berry Fields. In fact, we're about halfway there, I'd say."

"Sweet! Verdant Cavern, here we come!"

"Chu, Pikachu!"

"Deli, Delibird, Deli!"

"Huh?"

Before Ash could take off running, a Delibird flew down on the path in front of them.

"A Delibird?"

With a cracking of electricity, Rotom came online and began scaIt snning.

"Ooh, a Delibird! Lets see here, ah here it is. Delibird, The Delivery Pokémon. It has a generous habit of sharing its food with people and Pokémon, so its always scrounging around for more food."

"But whats it doing here?"

Rotom floated closer, listening to the Pokémon's frantic cries before returning to the group.

"It says it needs our help! Some nasty thugs are attacking its trainer! Please hurry!"

"Lead the way, Delibird!"

"Deli!"

Delibird took off, staying low enough to the ground so Ash and his friends could keep up. The bird lead them into a small garden, where an elder gentleman was being accosted

by three very familiar looking grunts.

"Listen here, old man! We're sick and tired of playing games. Hand over all your berries, or else!"

"Yeah, or else!"

"Yeah!"

"Please, this is my livelihood. Please, just leave!"

"Not you three again!"

Tupp, Zipp, and Rapp turned to find Ash and Ilima standing behind them.

"Oh look, some goody-goodies are here to save the day. Scram, if you know what's good for you."

"Yeah, scram!"

"Scram!"

"Not as long as you three are causing trouble!"

Tupp groaned before turning to his friends.

"Looks like we've got to bring the beatdown on these fools. You two take on the kid, but Ilima's mine."

"Right!"

"You got it, boss!"

The three separated, Zipp and Rapp charging Ash.  
"This time will be different. Wont have Ilima her to back you up. Zubat, go!"

"Yungoos, front and center!'

The two Team Skull grunts sent out their Pokémon, hissing at Ash as they were released.

"Litten, Pikachu, lets go!"

Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder, while Litten emerged from its Pokeball in a burst of flame.

"Litten!"

"Pikachu!"

"This will be easy. Zubat, use Bite!"

"You too, Yungoos!"

The two Pokémon charged, teeth barred and ready to bite, but Ash stood his ground.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail! Litten, use Slash!"

Waiting until their attackers were close enough, Pikachu hit Zubat with its Iron Tail straight to the face, while Litten slashed at Yungoos, forcing it to retreat in pain.

"Pikahu, Thunder Shock! Litten, Flamethrower!"

While the grunt's Pokémon tried to recover, Pikachu and Litten hit them with electricity and a large burst of flame respectively, knocking the Pokémon out before they could

even get a hit. This managed to scare the two off.

"Yo, Rapp! This kid's better than we thought! Next time we better bring back up."

"But Zipp, I've got another two Zubat at the..."

But her teammate had already hightailed it out of there. Seeing she was outmatched, she shook her head, turning to Tupp, who had also been beaten badly.

"Yo, Tupp! We've gone bust, we need to hightail it before the police show."

With that she took off running. Tupp angrily shook his head before joining her, but stopped momentarily to turn back towards Ilima.

"Yo, this isn't over, Ilima! I'll never forget what you did to me!"

With that, Tupp joined his friends in fleeing the scene. Ash and Ilima just shook their heads.

"Those three never learn."

"They remind me of some other crooks I know."

Ash turned to the elder gentleman, who was doubled over trying to catch his breath.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The man stood up, nodding his head appreciatively.

"I'm fine, thank you. I was just working the berry fields here when those three came out of nowhere."

"Deli!"

The gentleman laughed as the Delibird flew into view.

"It seems my Delibird ran and got help. Good job, Deli."

The Delibird chirped happily as the old man stroked its head before turning to Ash and Ilima.

"Thank you so much for your help. Please, come back with me so I can reward you with a good meal."

"Oh no, we-"

"Please, I insist. Its the least we could do."

Finally, the three relented.

"Oh, alright. I am feeling kind of hungry."

"Excellent! Come with me, my wife will be happy. She loves it when we have guests."

Ash, Ilima, and Lillie followed the gentleman to a small house. True to his word, his wife was rather pleased to meet them, and before long they were sitting round the dinner

table exchanging stories.

"So Ash, you're on your Island Trial Challenge, yes?"

"Yep! I'm on my way to Verdant Cavern right now!"

The old man leaned back in his chair, smiling.

"Ah, I remember my challenge. The excitement, the adrenaline, ah to be young again!"

His wife shook her head.

"Oh, that's my Marcus. Always reminiscing about the past."

Marcus laughed heatedly, although he was somewhat embarrassed."

"Oh, come now, Reina, like you've never took time to remember good times before."

Ash and his friends gave a good chuckle at this before checking the clock.

"Woah, its getting late! We need to get moving!"

"You're more than welcome to stay the night, you know."

"Thanks, but the sooner I get moving, the sooner I can challenge my first trial!'

Before anyone else could say anything, Ash darted out of the house, his friends sweatdropping at his impulsiveness.

"He certainly is spirited."

"Perhaps a little too much so."

"Pika pi."

"Vee."

Ilima and Lillie, being more mindful than their compatriot, bowed to their host and hostess.

"Thank you for the meal, it was delicious."

"Yes, thank you."

"You're very welcome. Come back anytime."

The two of them waved as they left Marcus and Reina waved back until they had left, confident that no matter where those young ones go, as long as they stick together

they can accomplish anything.


	8. Old Faces, New Phases?

Chapter 8: Old Faces, New Phases?

Ash, Lillie, and Ilima strolled their way to Verdant Cavern, presently resting in a small town on the way.

"This place is called Pua Town. Verdant Cavern isn't too far from here, another hour of walking at most."

"Sweet! We'll rest here for the night and make way for my first trial tomorrow."

Lillie looked around, taking note of the oddly clean streets.

"Gee this place sure is clean. There's not even a wrapper lying on the streets. I wonder how they keep them so clean?"

Ash and Ilima scratched their heads, not having an answer to her question.

"Hey guys!"

Everyone turned to see Sun running up to them, an unknown girl following close behind him.

"Sun, how's it going?"

"Great, just stopping by my hometown for some training."

"Ahem."

Sun laughed as his companion tapped her foot impatiently.

"He he, right. Guys, this is my little sister Moon. She'll be starting her adventure in a month."

"Nice to meet you, Moon."

Moon's expression brightened.

"You too. My stepbrother here has told me about you guys. Hey, big bro, isn't that pink haired guy the one who creamed you and Hau-"

Moon was cut off by Sun clamping his hand over her mouth, laughing nervously as whatever she was going to say next got muffled.

"Now now, no need to live in the past."

"Hey Sun, how do you guys keep the streets so clean? Even back in Pallet Town there's usually some litter lying around."

Sun chuckled lightly.

"Well, its nothing really. See, we have Grimer and Muk to thank for that. Moon?"

Moon stepped forward, continuing the explanation.

"You see, Grimer and Muk live off of eating Garbage mainly, so in exchange for keeping the streets of Alola clean, we keep their homes well kept. Its

kind of a win-win situation."

To illustrate their point, a Grime came shuffling down the street and, noticing a discarded food wrapper, eagerly gobbled it up before continuing on

his way. However, Ash was quite surprised by its appearance.

"Guys, call Nurse Joy quick! That Grimer is ill! Just look at its miscoloration."

Indeed, the Grimer did look very different. Instead of its normal Purple color, its body was a lime green with a yellow ring around the mouth. Everyone stared at him in confusion before it dawned on them, Sun being the first to speak up.

"Oh, you're from Kanto, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well Ash, some Pokémon who have migrated from Kanto aren't used to the Alolan climate. Therefore, their bodies undergo changes to better adapt to their new environments."

Moon stepped forward to continue the explanation.

"You see, these changes can be as simple as becoming a dual type Pokémon to completely changing their type altogether. For example, Alolan Grimer and Muk are Poison and Dark Types."

"Woah, that's awesome!"

Then Sun had an awesome idea.

"Hey Ash, would you like to have a Pokémon "battle? I've caught some new Pokémon that you might find interesting."

"You bet! I cant wait to see all of the new Pokémon you've caught. Ilima, would you mind referring?"

"Of course, Ash."

"Two on two sound good to you?"

"You're on!"

After finding a good sized clearing, Ash and Sun stood a good sized distance from eachother, Ilima and the spectators off to the side.

"This Pokémon battle between Ash of Pallet Town and Sun from Pua Town shall begin. Each trainer shall use three Pokémon each, no substitutions. Sun shall make the first move. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready when you are, Ash!"

"All systems are a go!"

"Then let the battle commence!"

"Go, Meowth!"

"Litten take the stage!"

Ash and Sun sent out their first Pokémon. Ash was surprised to see a dark grey colored Meowth instead of the usual tan colored kind.

"Woah, is that another Alolan form?"

"Yep, this one's a dark type. Pretty cool, huh?"

Moon pouted from the sidelines.

"Ah, I wanted to take Meowth on my journey! Stupid Paper, how does it cover Rock?"

Sun laughed nervously, but continued. Meowth, on the other hand, took one look at Litten and yawned, hardly impressed. This made Litten growl in anger.

"Meowth, use Quick Attack!"

"Flamethrower, Litten!"

Meowth sprinted toward his target, ready to pounce when Litten let loose a large burst of flame, singing Meowth and pushing him back.

"Litten, use Lick!"

Litten ran up to its opponent, giving it a hard lick from the top down. Although it wasn't very effective, being a ghost type move against a Dark Type, it was enough to

paralyze it.

"Shake it off Meowth and use Pay Day!"

"Scratch, Litten!"

Unfortunately for Sun, Meowth was fully paralyzed, leaving it vulnerable to Litten's attacks as it relentlessly assaulted it with its claws. By the time Meowth could move again,

it could only collapse in exhaustion, unable to continue any further.

"Meowth is unable to battle! Litten is the winner!"

"Way to go, Litten!"

"You did good, Meowth. Now take a good long rest."

Litten purred proudly as Meowth returned to his Pokeball. Suddenly, he started to glow, to everyone's surprise.

"Woah, Litten is evolving!"

When the glowing stopped, Litten had become larger, with the orange on its body becoming more prominent.

"Torr, Torracat!"

Rotom buzzed to life, flying out of Ash's pocket and scanning the new Pokémon.

"Zzzzt, woah a new Pokémon! Torracat, the Fire Cat Pokémon, and the evolved form of Litten. When its mane is standing on end, you can tell its feeling good. When it isnt

feeling good, its fur will lie down flat."

"Way to go, Torracat! I knew you could do it."

"Pika Pi!"

Torracat smiled, rubbing up against its master's leg and purring softly. Sun smiled confidently.

"Good, now it'll be an even match. Go, Brionne!"

From the Pokeball emerged an elegant looking seal, doing a cute dance before posing for battle. Once more, Rotom scanned the new Pokémon."

"Zzzt, Brionne, the Pop Star Pokémon, and the evolved form of Popplio. A skillful dancer, it creates a sequence of water balloons as it dances, and briskly bombards its enemies."

"Woah, I guess your Popplio evolved, huh?"

"Yep, and we're ready to rock this battle, right Brionne?"

"Brionne!"

"Alright, Torracat, use Fire Fang!"

"Water Gun, Brionne!"

Torracat leapt forward, teeth a blaze and ready to bite. Brionne was ready, though, and sent out a burst of water, pushing Torracat back.

"Double Kick, Torracat!"Ti

"Aqua Jet, Brionne!"

Torracat shook off the water from his fur, ready to fight back, but Brionne was too fast, slamming right into it with a burst of water. Tired and unable to continue, Torracat

collapsed where he stood.

"Torracat is unable to battle! Brionne is the winner!"

"Awesome job, Brionne!"

"Bri!"

"You did a good job, Torracat. Get some rest."

After returning the weary Torracat to his Pokeball, Ash turned to his starter.

"You ready, Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

Pumped up and ready to battle, Pikachu leapt onto the battle field, sparks flying from its cheeks.

"Battle begin!"

"Pikachu, Volt Tackle!"

"Aqua Jet, Brionne!"

The two Pokémon met in the middle, Pikachu in an aura of electricity and Brionne in a veil of water. A small explosion occurred pushing them both back.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

"You too, Brionne!"

Once more the two clashed, Brionne being slightly faster but only just. Once more the two were pushed back, tired but neither one ready to back down.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Water Gun, Brionne!"

"Pikachuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

"Brioooooooooooooone!"

For the third time their attacks clashed, Pikachu's electric bolts versus Brionne's Water burst. Finally, a huge explosion erupted, enveloping the battlefield in smoke.

When it finally died down, Pikachu and Brionne were revealed, both out cold.

"Both Brionne and Pikachu are unable to battle! This match ends in a draw!"

Nodding to eachother in approval, both Sun and Ash recalled their Pokémon, Sun by returning it to its Pokeball and Ash by picking Pikachu up."

"You did good, buddy."

"You too, Brionne."

"Pika."

Ash and Sun met in the middle and shook hands.

"That was a great battle, Sun. Your Pokemon are amazing!"

"Hey, you're pretty good yourself. Brionne and I need to practice some more."

With that the two went their separate ways, Sun and Moon heading for home while Ash and his gang headed for the Pokémon center.

"Ash, have you chosen which Pokémon you'll use for your upcoming Trial?"

"Yes, making a good choice can be the difference between Pass or fail."

Ash smiled knowingly.

"I do, but first I need to make a phone call."

A/N: Sorry updates haven't been as quick as before. Had to rewrite the chapter a few times, but in the end I'm pleased with the result. Next time we finally get to Ash's first

Trial. Who does he need to call? Stay tuned.


	9. Trials and Tribulations

Chapter 9: Trials and Tribulations

Ash sat on a couch, waiting for his Pokémon to heal. At last the Emergency Room doors opened, and Nurse Joy stepped out, Chansey following close behind with

his Pokeballs, Pikachu situated on top the stretcher.

"Your Pokémon are back to full health, Ash."

"Thanks, Nurse Joy."

"Of course! Good luck on your journey."

As Another person stepped up to heal their team, Ash made his way over to the phones. After dialing, the screen buzzed for a minute before Professor Oak came into view.

"Ah, Ash, did you complete my errand."

"I sure did. Professor Kukui gave the egg to one of his assistants to look after. Has mom told you about my new journey?"

"She sure has. Let me guess, you need one of your old Pokémon? Very well, you know the rules. Just put one of your Pokémon on the transfer machine."

"Actually, I only have 3 Pokémon right now."

"Hm?"

Ilima and Lillie sat on a bench outside the Pokémon center, waiting for Ash to finish his business.

"He sure is taking a while. I hope everything is alright."

"Don't worry, Lillie. I'm sure its nothing big. Maybe they're just busy today."

Their wait was soon finished when the doors opened and Ash walked out, a confident smirk on his face.

"Ash! Are your Pokémon all healed up."

"Yep. Sorry I took so long, but I had to bring in some reinforcements."

Ash brought out a Pokeball and opened it, revealing his fighting type bug Pokémon.

"Ilima, Lillie, meet Heracross. I caught him during my travels in Johto."

"Heracross!"

"Pika Pi!"

Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and ran over to his old friend, who was equally as happy.

"Interesting. I must ask though, why bring him over now? I would have thought you would catch another new Pokémon for my trial."

Ash laughed before responding.

"Well, yes, that is normally what I would've done. But this time around, I've decided to save room on my team for my old Pokémon as well. See, I've been to so many regions that I haven't been able to spend much time with my Pokémon back home. So this time I've decided to rotate Pokémon I catch here with my Pokémon back at Professor Oak's lab to give them more time to shine. And since you use Normal Type Pokémon normally, Ilima, I figured they would play

a big part in your trial, so Heracross seemed like the best choice."

Ilima smiled at Ash's explanation.

"A wise decision indeed, but you'll need more than a type advantage to beat my trial. If we're all ready, shall we be on our way? Verdant Cavern is just up ahead."

"Yeah!"

"Pika Pi!"

"Oh, um, well if everyone else is ready than so am I!"

"Excellent. Then lets be on our way

True to Ilima's words, they reached Verdant Cavern in 10 minutes. It was a small but expansive caves, with small burrows scattered throughout. Small bursts of sunlight streamed in through cracks in the celling.

"Man, this place is gorgeous."

"It feels so...tranquil but at the same time I get this odd feeling of being watched."

Ilima smiled, nodding before turning to the vast cavern.

"I agree, which is the reason why I chose this place as my trial site. Now, for the rules."

As Ilima said that, a Yungoos scurried past them, dashing into its burrow out of sight.

"Ah, perfect timing. My trial is simple: find the Normalium Z Crystal hidden in this cave. These Yungoos and Gumshoos are very territorial, and love taking any objects they can get their paws on. You may find it in any of their burrows, but be warned. They will fight for anything they think is rightly theirs. Also, you may not capture

any Pokémon here or leave until the trial is finished. Are you ready to begin?"

"You bet!"

"Pika Pi!"

Ilima turned to Lillie

"Since you don't have any Pokémon besides Nebby, and he's not much of a battler, I must ask that you wait outside. We wont be long."

Lillie nodded, turning to leave.

"Good luck Ash!"

Once Lillie was safely outside, Ilima turned back to Ash.

"Yes, good luck Ash. Let the trial of Ilima begin!"

Ash nodded before scanning the area for any crystals. Deciding to search one of the burrows, he only found a Yungoos who was none to happy to have its sleep interrupted.

"Goos!"

"Woah, not good! Go, Heracross!"

"Cross!"

"Heracross, use Megahorn!"

The Yungoos ran at Heracross, only to be struck by his glowing horn. With a mighty grunt, the rodent was flipped into the air before crashing back down, out cold.

"Goos…"

Seeing that the coast was clear, Ash stuck his hand into the opening...

Only to come up empty, no crystal inside.

"Dang it. Come on, Heracross. Its got to be around here somewhere."

"Heracross."

This continued for several minutes. Ash scoured every inch of the room and battled every Yungoos or Gumshoos that came their way. Yet there was still no sign of a Normalium Z anywhere. Ash scanned the room once more before seeing a large opening in the back wall.

"Maybe its in the room back here."

Making his way up the ramp, Ash walked through the back wall and into a large clearing. In the middle was a pedestal, where a small Z crystal sat.

"That must be it! Lets go!"

"Pika Pi!"

Despite Pikachu's best efforts to dissuade him, Ash dashed over to the pedestal and snatched the crystal, smirking triumphantly.

"Alright, trial complete!"

"Pika, Pika Pika!"

"Huh? What's wrong, Pikachu!"

"GumSHOOOOOOOOOS!"

"Huh?"

Ash turned around to see a towering Pokémon, larger than he had ever seen.

"Rotom, data?"

"Zzzzt, Gumshoos, The Stakeout Pokémon, and the evolved form of Yungoos. When it finds a trace of its prey, it patiently stakes out its location...but it's always snoozing by nightfall!"

The giant Pokémon snarled, but Ash held firm."

"Heracross, lets go! Use Megahorn!"

Heracross leapt forward, jabbing its horn into the Gumshoo's stomach. Hardly deterred, the giant used take down, forcing Heracross back.

"Counter, Heracross, then Arm Thrust!"

Recovering quickly, Heracross returned the attack quickly, once more jamming its horn at its with more force, causing the giant to roar in pain before Heracross began punching

it continuously.

Before Heracross could finish it off, a Yungoos came running to help, scratching at its leg.

"Hey, keep out! Heracross, Low Kick!"

With a swift kick, Heracross sent the Yungoos flying. Enraged that its ally was dismissed so quickly, Gumshoos took advantage of the distraction and attacked with Hyper Fang,

pushing Heracross back in pain. Gumshoos then began to charge him.

"Wait for it Heracross...wait for it...wait for it...alright, Focus Punch, now!"

Heracross ducked under the charging giant before dealing a swift punch to its gut, causing the Pokémon to roar in pain before collapsing, unable to go on any farther.

"Great job, Heracross. Return!"

"Heracross!"

As Ash returned his Pokémon, the Gumshoos slowly began to rise up. It nodded to Ash in acknowledgment before ducking back into the shadows to heal. Not wanting anything

else to jump out and attack him, Ash snatched the crystal, smiling before striking his victory pose.

"Alright, I just got a Normalium Z!"

"Pika Pikachu!"

"Well done, Ash!"

Ash turned to find Ilima and Lillie walking towards him.

"I saw everything, and I must say I am impressed. It usually takes a trainer a few tries to beat the Totem Pokémon."

"Totem Pokémon?"

"You see Ash, Totem Pokémon are super powerful Pokémon chosen and trained by us Trial Captains to act as the final boss of our trials. Anyone can beat a trainer, but to be able

to beat a gigantic and powerful Pokémon is a true sign that you've trained them well."

"Great job, Ash!"

"Thanks guys."

"Now watch closely as I show you the proper way to unleash its power."

Ilima took four steps back, striking his arms in a Z shape before returning them to normal.

"And that's it. Once you've struck that pose, anyone of your Pokémon that knows a normal type move can upgrade it to a powerful normal type Z-move."

"Awesome!"

The trio made their way out of the cave and out onto route 3.

"If we take this route we'll make it to Iki Town in no time. There you'll face the Grand Trial of Melemelee Island, Ash."

"Sweet, lets get a move on!"

And with a confident stride, Ash and co made their way back to where their journey began, ready to tackle whatever came their way.

A/N: And the first trial is done! Sorry I didn't cover it in full, but since it would've pretty much been the same thing three times over, I decided not to bore you with the details. How'd you guys like Heracrosse's return? Don't worry, he won't be the only one making a return, but he will be with the crew for at least the next two chapters. Next time our heroes have an interesting trip back to Iki Town. See you next time!


	10. In the Bagon

Chapter 10: In the Bagon

Ash confidently strode down Route 1, the new Normalium Z held firmly in his Z ring.

"Aw yeah, first trial complete! Whats next: Photo Safari in Ten Carat Hill? Climbing to the top of a haunted tower? Ooh- how about..."

Ilima laughed before cutting Ash off.

"Easy, Ash. Next is the Grand Trail against Kahuna Hala."

"Oh yeah, you did mention that. So what is this grand trial anyway?"

"The Grand Trial is the final trial a trainer undergoes on an island of the Alola region. Its actually quite similar to the Gym Battles you are familiar with, where you battle

a strong trainer in order to receive a reward, in this case a Z Crystal. Here in Alola, the battle is against the Kahuna of the island. Once you've defeated them, you are recognized

as the strongest trainer of the island."

Ash's eyes lit up in excitement

"Really?"

"Well, until someone else beats Hala, then not so much. But you still get a Z Crystal."

Ash face faulted at this, but quickly shook it off.

"Well, lets get moving! The sooner we get back to Iki Town, the sooner I get my second Z Crystal."

"Pika!"

"HELP!"

Ash and Ilima turned to find Lillie struggling to free her bag from the grip of a wild Vullaby.

"Go away! Shoo!"

"By!"

Before Ash or Ilima could send out a Pokémon to help, a large burst of fire struck Vullaby from the side, forcing it to release Lillie's bag. When the flames died down,

a wild Bagon, snorting furiously. Realizing it was outclassed, the diapered Pokémon flew away, Bagon futilely trying to jump and grab it.

"Gon, Bagon!"

Ash and Ilima ran over to Lillie, who was trying to catch her breath.

"You alright, Lillie?"

Lillie straightened herself, nodding and smiling.

"Yes, thanks to that Bagon. Oh, I don't know what I would do if I lost Nebby."

"Pew! Pew!"

The Bagon continued to futilely jump for a few minutes before giving up and sulking over to some rocks by the cliffside. The three watched him.

"Man, that Bagon sure does seem upset. It must really hate Vullaby."

"I wonder why?"

"Perhaps I can be of service!"

Ash's Rotomdex flew out and over to the Bagon.

"Hey there big guy. Why the long face?"

"Bagon."

"Aw, come on. Tell Rotom what's wrong."

The Bagon sighed, before telling its story.

"Gon, Bagon."

"What? Really?"

"Bagon!"

"HE DID WHAT!"

"Bagon, Gon Bagon!"

"Come here, big guy. Rotom's got ya!"

With that the two hugged, tears flying out like crazy. Ash, Ilima, and Lillie just stared awkwardly.

"Uh, Rotom? Mind filling us in?"

Sniffling, Rotom and Bagon shuffled over to them.

"Oh Ash, I shall try my best to recount this poor soul's tragic tale. You see, his trainer abandoned him because he didn't want to wait so long for a Salamance, called him weak

and left him to suffer on his own. For years Bagon has wanted to fly and prove his trainer wrong, but no matter how hard he may try he could never reach his goal. Oh poor Bagon,

my heart aches for thee."

Ash and his friends stared in shock for a minute.

"Oh man, that's terrible."

"Indeed. Anyone who would abandon their Pokémon has no right to call themselves a trainer."

After a second, Ash smiled and bent down to Bagon's height.

"Well, what do you say you and me prove him wrong together? I promise I'll have you flying in no time at all."

Bagon's eyes widened, taking in the offer for a second. After a moment, it nodded confidently.

"Gon, Bagon!"

"Alright. Welcome to the team, Bagon!"

Ash took out an empty Pokeball from his pocket and lightly tapped Bagon on the head, absorbing it in. It only shook once before dinging, signaling that it was caught.

"Alright! I caught a Bagon!"

"Pika Pika!"

Afterwards, Ash and his friends continued along Route 3 towards Iki Town.

They reached Iki Town by sunset, tired but confident. Hala was at the town entrance with Professor Kukui, and waved to them as they climbed the steps.

"Hey there, guys! Ilima told me you beat his trial Ash! Whoo, that means you're ready for Hala's Grand Trial, Ash! You ready?"

To everyone's surprise, Ash shook his head no.

"Sorry, but my team and I have some training to do. Got to be ready you know?"

Hala gave a hearty laugh.

"Ha Ha, I agree 100%! When you are ready for my Grand Trial, come see me at my house. I shall be awaiting your challenge."

"Can't wait for it, Hala."

With that the groups departed, Hala and Kukui heading off for Route 1 while Ash and his friends heading to the Pokémon center for the night.

"You ready for our next battle, Pikachu!"

"Pika!"

"Yeah, me too. Look out, Hala. Ash is coming for you!"


	11. The Mighty Hala

Chapter 11: The Mighty Hala

Ash leapt out of the Pokemon Center early the next morning, ready of his first Grand Trial.

"Get ready, Hala, cause here I come! Ready Pikachu?"

"Pika Pi!"

Lillie and Ilima chuckled at his enthusiasm,

"He sure is confident, isnt he?"

"He'll have to be, thats for sure. I know I struggled against Hala in my trial. Ash, have you decided which three Pokemon you'll use?"

Ash nodded.

"Yep, I'll start with Pikipek, then Heracross, and Bagon will bring up the rear. Hala won't know what hit him!"

And before anyone could stop him Ash ran on ahead to find Hala, leaving Lillie and Ilima in the dust.

"Wait up, Ash!"

"Its no use, we'll have to catch up with him. Although, I cant blame him for being excited."

"Yeah. I wish... I wish I had his confidence."

Ash found Hala standing at the stage in the center of town, Professor Kukui waving him over.

"Ash, over here! Use Volt Tackle and get here in a snap!"

Ash zoomed over, kicking up dust until he was right up in there face. Hala laughed heartedly at his enthusiasm.

"I take it you're ready for my trial, Ash?"

"You know it, Hala! Bring it on!"

"Ha Ha, such spirit! I love it! In that case, let us get things underway, but be warned, Old Hala's about to make you holler!"

A few minutes later, Ash and Hala stood facing each other on the stage, Kukui standing in the middle to act as referee. Lillie and Ilima had caught up by then and had joined a small crowd of spectators off to the side as Kukui explained the rules.

"This Grand Trial between Ash of Pallet Town and Hala of Iki Town shall now begin! Each trainer shall use three Pokemon. The battle is over once all Pokemon on either side are deemed unable to battle. Are both trainers ready?"

"You bet!"

"Hala never backs down from a fight."

"Then let the battle begin!"

"Go, Mankey!"

"Pikipek, I choose you!"

The two Pokémon burst onto the stage, Mankey swiping at the air while Pikipek flew around excitedly.

"Mankey, use Brick Break!"

"Gust, Pikipek, then follow up with Aerial Ace!"

Mankey leapt up, fist at the ready, only to be blasted back by strong winds, getting up just in time to be rammed once more.

"Karate Chop, Mankey!"

"Pikipek, use Wing Attack! Don't let up!"

For the next few minutes, Mankey and Pikipek remained locked in battle, arm clashing with wing with neither side willing to back down. Soon, though, Mankey began to wear down,

his attacks becoming sloppier and more wild. Ash saw his chance.

"Pikipek, get in close and use Peck right on his forehead!"

Determined, Pikipek ducked under another Karate Chop, diving straight at Mankey before drilling his beak right into the Fighting type's forehead, knocking it out cold.

"Mankey is unable to battle! Pikipek is the winner!"

"Alright, way to go Pikipek!"

"Pikipek!"

Before Hala could return Mankey, Pikipek started to glow, growing bigger and changing shape. Ash stared in awe.

"Woah, Pikipek is evolving!"

When the light died down, a Trumbeak stood tall and proud, its large wings spread out majestically.

"Trumbeak!"

"Woah, a Trumbeak! Rotom, got any data?"

"Way ahead of you, Ash! Trumbeak, the Bugle Beak Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pikipek. It attacks its opponents by firing seeds stored in its beak."

"Sweet! You still ready to go, Trumbeak?"

"Trumbeak!"

"Well get ready, Ash! Makuhita, go!"

The yellow humanoid flashed out, punching the air vigorously.

"Round 2, begin!"

"Trumbeak, Quick Attack!"

"Fake Out, Makuhita!"

Trumbeak flew in close, only for Mankey to slap him back, stopping its attack and forcing him back.

"Follow it up with an Arm Thrust, Makuhita!"

Before Trumbeak could recover, Makuhita rushed forwards, hitting him over and over with Arm Thrust, weakening the bird greatly.

"Finish him off with Karate Chop!"

Trumbeak looked up, readying another attack...

Only to get a karate chop right between the eyes, dealing the finishing blow and knocking it unconscious.

"Trumbeak is unable to battle! The round goes to Makuhita!"

"Mak Mak Makuhita!"

"Good work, Trumbeak. Take a good long rest. Alright, go Heracross!"

After returning the tired bird to its Pokeball, Ash sent out his fighting type bug.

"Cross!"

"Heracross vs Makuhita, begin!"

"Heracross, Low Kick!"

"High Jump Kick, Makuhita!"

Heracross swung his leg in attempt to trip his opponent, only for Makuhita to jump up in attack.

"Dodge it, Heracross, then use Megahorn!"

Heracross ducked out of the way before slamming his horn up, sending Makuhita flying. When he landed, Makuhita was out cold.

"Makuhita is unable to battle! The round goes to Heracross!"

Hala smiled, before returning his Pokémon to its ball.

"You fought valiantly, Makuhita. Get some rest."

He then turned to his opponent.

"Alright Ash, I hope you're ready, because this is my strongest brawler. Go, Crabrawler!"

Hala's fighting crab emerged punching the air.

"You got this, Heracross!"

"Heracross!"

"Heracross vs Crabrawler, begin!"

"Heracross, Close Combat!"

"Frost Breath, Crabrawler!"

Heracorss rushed towards his opponent, ready for battle. Crabrawler inhaled deeply before blowing an icy blast. While battered, this did little to stop Heracross as he got in close,

grappling with the his foe without giving an inch.

"Wow, Heracross sure is strong! He took that Frost Breath without breaking a sweat!"

Ilima nodded in agreement with Lillie.

"Yes, quite. Although using Close Combat is a risky choice. When using it, Heracross leaves himself wide open to attacks. And something tells me Hala intends to take full advantage of that."

Hala smirked, already knowing what to do.

"Crabrawler, use Focus Punch!"

While Heracross was distracted, Crabrawler dealt a direct punch to its stomach, causing Heracross to stumble back and give Hala his chance.

"Alright Crabrawler, time to show Ash the full power of our Z Move! All Out Pummeling!"

After a series of air punches, energy began flowing from Hala to Crabrawler, giving him the energy to execute its attack. As Heracross began to recover, Crabrawler sent out

a barrage of energy fists, striking Heracross and causing him to double over. Finally, Crabrawler dashed straight over, dealing one last punch and sending him flying.

When he landed, he was out cold.

"Heracross is unable to battle! The round goes to Crabrawler!"

A baited breath fell over the town as Ash returned Heracross, taking out his last Pokeball.

"Its all up to you now. Go, Bagon!"

Ash's newest catch burst out onto the field, snapping its jaws at Crabrawler. Hala breathed heavily, the Z move taking its toll on him, but stood firm.

"Crabrawler, not holding back!"

"Brawler!"

"Bagon vs. Crabrawler, begin!"

"Crabrawler, use Power Up Punch!"

"Dragon Claw, Bagon!"

The two met in the middle, claw meeting claw in a struggle for supremacy. Although the two were evenly matched at first, Bagon slowly began to lose power, and Crabrawler slowly began to overpower him.

"Bagon, duck and use Dragon Claw!"

Suddenly, Bagon let go and ducked, causing Crabrawler to stumble and give Bagon the opening he needed, dealing a quick Dragon Claw to one of his hind legs, causing Crabrawler to wince in pain.

"Zen Headbutt, Bagon!"

While Crabrawler tried to recover, Bagon jumped straight up, headbutting Crabrawler right in the chin. Although severely weakened, Crabrawler shook off his fatigue, ready for another round.

"Use Dizzy Punch, Crabrawler!"

"Bagon, Dragon Breath, full power!"

Before Crabrawler could hit his opponent, he was blasted by a great wave of fire from Bagon's mouth, forcing him back.

"Bagon, finish this off with a Zen Headbutt!"

Crabrawler glanced up from the flames in time to be struck by a headbutt right to the face, finishing him off. At first nobody made a sound, in awe at the awesome battle. At last, Kukui made the official ruling.

"Crabrawler is unable to battle! The round goes to Bagon, and the battle goes to the challenger Ash from Pallet Town!"

Ash smiled victoriously.

"All right! Way to go to, Bagon!"

"Pika Pi!"

Bagon smiled at the praise.

"Gon Bagon!"

Hala returned his Pokémon to its Pokeball, smiling broadly.

"Good job, Crabrawler. Take a good long rest."

He then walked over to Ash, who was hugging Bagon in celebration.

"Well done, Ash. As proof of your victory, I bestow this Fightinium Z Crystal is yours."

Hala dropped the small orange crystal in Ash's palm. A broad grin crossed his face before Ash made his victory pose.

"Alright, we just got a Fightinium Z!"

"Pika Pi!"

"Bagon!"

"Way to go Ash!"

"You to, Bagon!"

Professor Kukui walked up to Ash as Lillie and Ilima congratulated him.

"Way to go, Ash. Now you've completed all of the trials on Melemelee Island. You ready to head on over to Akala Island?"

Ash was about to answer before a yawn escaped his throat.

"Uh, maybe tomorrow. I want to go show Mom my new crystals."

"Pikaaaaa."

Everyone laughed before going their separate ways, looking forward to new adventures tomorrow.

A/N: Sorry this so long, this battle took a long time to write. From now on I'll probably separate these important battles into two or more chapters. Don't worry, updates will be more frequent. Thanks to everyone who's still reading!


	12. Riding the Surf

A/N: if anyone gets a review from someone named 787, block them. He/she is a terrible person and give Advanceshippers a bad name.

Chapter 12: Riding the Surf

"What do you mean the ferry's not running?"

Ash and his friends sat in the ferry terminal, trying to get the first ferry to Akala Island. Lillie and Ilima rubbed their eyes sleepily, annoyed by how early Ash and Professor Kukui had woken them. Ash was trying to get their tickets, while Kukui was on the phone with his wife. The lady at the terminal chuckled nervously.

"I'm sorry, sir, but the ferry broke down. We don't know when it'll be fixed."

Ash dropped his head in sorrow, feeling as if his whole world had came crashing down.

"Okay, thanks anyway."

Ash slumped his way over to some chairs as Professor Kukui finished his phone call.

"Great, see ya then. Love ya to, honey."

He then made his way over to the trio of teenagers.

"Great news, guys. I just got off the phone with Burnett, and she agreed to give us a tour of her lab later this week. She works at the Dimensional Research Lab in Heahea City, and thinks she's close to making a big break through."

"Sounds great Professor, but we still need to get there, and the ferry's down. They said it wont be running for a while."

Professor Kukui rubbed his chin in thought.

"Hmm, that's a problem. Wait, I've got it! Everybody, use Agility and follow me!"

Before anyone can stop him, Kukui rushed out of the building into Hau'oli City. The trio shrugged before following.

They found Kukui at Big Wave Beach, staring out at the sea. He waved them over enthusiastically.

"Hey guys, check this out, WOO!"

Sharing exasperated looks, the trio ran over to them.

"So what's your big idea, Professor Kukui? How are we getting to Akala Island?"

"With that. Take a glance over there!"

The three teenagers glanced out to the Melemele Sea to see a group of Mantine surfing along the waves. But what really surprised them was that people were standing and riding on them! Professor Kukui chuckled at their surprised looks.

"That's our ride. Time to introduce you guys to Mantine Surfing, Woo!"

Ash's eyes lit up in excitement.

"Oh yeah, lets do this!"

"Pika Pika!"

Ilima nodded.

"Hmm, this should be interesting. I cant say I've ever ridden on a Mantine before."

Lillie however, grew hesitant.

"Surfing? On a Mantine? Is it safe? I mean, aren't wild Mantine dangerous? What it..."

Professor Kukui put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Lillie. These Mantine are trained and perfectly safe. Besides, I would never do anything that would put you in any danger, would I?"

"Well, I guess not."

Ash put a hand on her other shoulder, helping her to calm down.

"Don't worry, Lillie. We'll be right there beside you."

Lillie smiled, trying to hide her blush.

"Alright, so its settled then. Come on, lets get you guys in gear."

A few minutes later, all four were wearing swim wear and protective gear. Ash, Kukui, and Ilima were wearing simple swim trunks, while Lillie wore a one piece swim suit. An instructor came up to them.

"Alright, lets go over the basics. First, we need to work on your balance..."

An hour passed, and the three of them were clear to surf out to Akala Island. However, while Ash and Ilima were quick learners and doing flips in the air, Lillie was lying on her stomach clinging onto her Mantine for dear life.

"Don't go so fast, don't go so fast, don't go so...AAAAAAAAAAH!"

As the Mantine went over a large wave, Lillie lost her grip and went flying. Before anyone could say anything, Ash directed his Mantine over the wave, catching Lillie bridal style and landing with a big splash.

"You alright, Lillie?"

Lillie nodded, too shocked to even speak as Ash set her down.

"Come on, you can ride with me the rest of the way."

"Y-you don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not, don't we Pikachu?"

"Pikachu!"

"Besides, the Professor said we should be there in a few minutes. Just hold on tight, Kay?"

Lillie nodded, gripping his waist.

10 minutes later, the Quartet arrived at Heahea Beach. The four of them stretched their limbs out, ready for new adventures.

"Alright gang, lets conquer this island!"

"Pika Pi!

His companions laughed at his antics as he rushed up the steps to Heahea City proper, knowing that no matter what great adventures lay ahead.


	13. On The Hunt

A/N: Congratulations, Ash! It took you 20 years, but you finally won a Pokémon League Conference! About time the writers let you win.

Chapter 13: On the Hunt

While Heahea City wasn't as expansive as Hau'oli City, it was still a fairly large city. Small shops and restaurants lined the street, with people and Pokémon alike mingling. A few advertisements for other major island attractions were posted around.

"Hey, Professor! Over here!"

The quartet turned to see a green haired teenager and a dark skinned woman waving them over. Professor Kukui waved back enthusiastically.

"Hey, Mallow, Olivia! Good to see ya."

The two groups met at the Pokémon center, sitting down at the café.

"So, you're taking the Island Challenge, Ash?"

"Not only am I taking it, I'm gonna crush it! Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

Olivia chuckled at Ash's enthusiasm.

"Well, its good to be confident. But I promise you it wont be that easy. After all, you'll have to get past me, and I'm no pushover."

Ash's eyes went wide in surprise.

"Wait, you mean you're-"

"The Kahuna? Yes, yes I am, chosen by Tapu Lele herself."

"Wow, that's so cool."

Ilima then turned to Olivia's companion.

"Long time no see, Mallow. How's the family restaurant?"

"Its going great. Good thing too, because being a Trial Captain sure doesn't pay the bills."

"Wait you're a trial captain?"

Mallow giggled at Lillie's surprise.

"Yep, one of three. But don't get any ideas, Ash. I still have quite some work to set up for my trial."

Ash's face deflated almost instantly.

"Awwwwww."

"Pikaaa."

Mallow giggled.

"Aw, don't get down, there's still a lot to do on Akala. I have an idea, why don't you take part in the Heahea City scavenger hunt?"

"Scavenger Hunt?"

Olivia spoke up next.

"You see, I'm not just the Island Kahuna, I'm also have an eye for jewelry and crystals. So every year, I hold a city wide scavenger hunt. Whomever can get the most items in one hour will win a Z Crystal currently not offered as a trial reward. This year is the Buginium Z.

"So, what do you guys say, you guys up for the challenge?"

"Oh yeah, lets do this!"

"Pika!"

"Oh, um, I guess it might be fun. Sure, I'll do it."

Ilima shook his head.

"Seems like fun, but I already have one from I completed my journey. Perhaps another time."

Kukui also shook his head.

"Nah, but you two have fun. I want to go surprise Burnie at the lab. She's gonna be more lovestruck than a Pikachu under Attract, Woo!"

Everyone watched as Kukui skipped off to see his wife.

"Well, that was something."

"Come on, lets get you two signed up."

By twilight, everyone was signed up and was getting ready for the competition. To Ash's surprise, everyone was mounting Stoutlands.

"Hey, what are those Stoutland's for?"

"For the competition, of course. How else are you supposed to find the hidden items?"

After seeing Ash's confused face, Mallow sighed.

"You're not from around here, are you?"

"No, I'm visiting from Kanto."

"Wow, that's pretty far. Well, over here in Alola we have a special way of getting around Ride Pokémon. They offer various ways to get around, from surfing on a Lapras to gliding on a Charizard. With Stoutland here, there great noses and super digging paws allow you to find all kinds of things lying around."

"Wow, that's so cool!"

"Out of the way, all of you! Future owner of a Buginium Z, coming through!"

Ash and Lillie turned to see a purple haired girl stride her way smugly to the front. Ash recognized her almost immediately.

"Burgundy?"

The Purple haired girl sniffed at Ash.

"Oh, its you. Finally got rid of that low class Connoisseur Cilan, I see?"

"Ash, you two know each other."

Ash, annoyed by Burgundy's comment, turned to Lillie.

"This is Burgundy. I met her during my trip through Unova. She hate smy friend Cilan because he's a higher ranked Connoisseur than she is."

"Rank means nothing! I'm a higher class than he can ever hope to be, and I'll do anything to prove it!"

"Um, what's a Pokémon Connoisseur?"

Burgundy's eye twitched as Ash explained.

"They're a class of trainers that specialize in evaluating a Trainer's bond with their Pokémon. They're not well known outside of the Unova Region."

"Well, I'm here to change that! I'll spread awareness of the profession so much that they'll have to make me an A Class Connoisseur. Anyway, I heard about this little treasure hunt and decided to grace it with my presence."

"Well, good luck. May the best trainer win."

Ash held out his hand for her to shake, only for her to slap it away.

"Don't worry, I intend to."

She walked away haughtily, leaving Ash to grind his teeth in anger.

10 minutes later, All of the competitors stood at the starting line. Olivia stood off to the side, starting gun in hand.

"Okay everyone, you all know the rules. No going to another town, only routes in and on the city outskirts are allowed. No stealing from other competitors, and no searching for items once time is up. Anyone not back by 10 minutes after the hour is disqualified. Now, on your marks...get set...go!"

A loud bang exploded throughout the city, and all of the Stoutland's and their riders took off. Ash held up his list.

"Alright, first things first is a BLCk Apricorn. There it is!"

"I'll take that!"

Before Ash could grab it, Burgundy dashed out and swiped it, pushing Ash out of the way.

"Hey, that was mine!"

"Winner's keepers, loser's weepers!"

Ash growled in fury, while Pikachu's cheeks sparked.

"Grrr, come on Pikachu, we'll find some more items."

"Pika!"

While Ash and Burgundy controlled their Stoutlands with relative ease, Lillie had lost control, only being grateful she gave Ilima her egg before boarding.

"Slow down, please!"

"Pew Pew!"

The Stoutland snorted, refusing to obey such a weak trainer and sped up in defiance.

"I wish I had stayed home!"

The hour passed by quickly Ash finding items quickly.

"Quick Claw, check! Come on, Stoutland! There's only a few items left!"

"Stout Stoutland!"

Burgundy was also having luck finding items.

"That's one Gold Berry to check off! Hurry Stoutland, we need to beat Ash!"

At last, time had been reached and all of the participants returned to the center of town, dropping off their collection bags to be counted. Within a few minutes, the results had been tallied and a winner was ready to be announced. Ilima saw Lillie return to the stands, scratched up with twigs sticking out of her hair.

"Lillie, what..."

"Don't. Ask."

At last, Olivia took center stage, Mic at hand to announce the winner.

"First, I want to thank all of you for participating this year. Know that no matter what, you are all winners in my book. Now, the winner of the annual Heahea City Scavenger Hunt is...

…...

….

…...

…...

Semaj Rocket!"

Everyone clapped as a purple haired man wearing a thick beard and large glasses stepped up onto the stage, taking the Buginium Z proudly.

"So Mr. Rocket, have any words for the audience."

The man shook his head and ran off, leaving the audience to disperse. Ash, his friends, and Burgundy met up at the Pokémon Center.

"Sorry I was rude earlier. You did really well."

"You too, Burgundy."

"Well I for one never want to go through that again! Stupid Stoutland!"

Everyone but Lillie shared a laugh before Burgundy continued.

"Mark my words, one day all of Alola will know the name Burgundy! I bid you Adieu."

Everyone waved her off as Burgundy set off for the docks. Ash's face turned to one of determination.

"And I'm going to be a Pokémon Master one day. First thing tomorrow, we head North for Paniola Ranch. Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

On their way back to Ula'ula Island, James, Jesse, and Meowth placed their newly acquired Buginium Z on top of their pile.

"Let's see, that's a Flyinium Z from Ten Carat Hill..."

"A Psychinium Z from the Hania Desert..."

"An Icinium Z from Mount Lanakila…"

"And a Buginium Z from Heahea City! I told you that my disguise would work, but you didn't believe me! Who's laughing now?"

BONK!

James fell silent as Jesse punched him, knocking him to the floor.

"This is a good start, but we need more than just four. Giovanni will be expecting a progress report in two weeks, so we need to get at least five more by then.

"Right!"

With that they resume pedaling, determined to get back to their base before Midnight.


	14. Home on the Range

Chapter 1: Home on the Range.

The trio set out early the next morning for Paniola Ranch, only stopping briefly in Paniola Town to rest. Ilima was reading a brochure on their destination.

"According to the brochure, Paniola Ranch breeds and raises the best ride Pokémon in the Alola Region, and their nursery is top notch."

Lillie's face lit up.

"Hey do you think that they could take a look at my egg? Its going to hatch soon, I can feel it."

"I don't see why not."

"Great, then lets go! I cant wait to check out all of the cool Pokémon."

"Pika!"

And Ash sprinted off, only to return a minute later looking confused.

"Uh, which direction is Paniola Ranch!"

Lillie and Ilima fell right out of their seats.

After checking Rotom's map function, the group set off for their destination. it wasn't long before they came to an old fashioned ranch. A wooden sign hung overhead reading "Paniola Ranch."

"Well looks like this is-woah."

Even from the entrance they could see how expansive the place was. Wide, open fields stretched out as far as the eye could see, wild Tauro stampeding through. Ranchers could be seen moving about, performing tasks from grooming Stoutland to milking Miltank. The trio was thoroughly impressed.

"Wow, this place is amazing!"

"You can say that again."

"Pika!"

Just then, a burly farmer walked up to them.

"Howdy folks, what can I do for you?"

"We were wondering if we could possibly have a tour of your ranch?"

"Oh, and I have a Pokémon egg I'd like to have examined, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, please?"

The rancher gave a hearty laugh.

"Why sure. Come on, we'll start at the nursery."

The three followed him, taking in everything he said with vapid interest.

"Oh, my names John by the way. I own this here ranch."

"You sure run an impressive business. But don't you ever get overworked."

"Oh, not often. We have plenty of ranchers here to take care of our Pokémon. And right up ahead you'll see our nursery, where we hold and care for Pokémon eggs of all sorts."

The building was a medium sized wooden shack, with a small field outback where baby Pokémon frolicked. Ash, Lillie, and Ilima's eyes went wide at the sight once John opened the door. Rows and rows of Pokémon eggs filled the shelves, leaving just enough room for them to enter the small examination room at the back, where Ash found a very familiar face checking out Mallow's Steenee.

"Good news, your Yungoos is perfectly healthy. Just keep doing what you've been doing."

"Thank you!"

"Brock, is that you?"

Brock's face broke out into a smile as he high fived Ash.

"Ash, long time no see! Congrats on getting second place in Kalos, I watched the whole thing."

"Pika!"

"Heh heh, good to see you too, Pikachu."

Pikachu gave a content "Chu" as Brock rubbed his head.

"So what brings you to Alola?"

"Extra credit for school, and I figured working at the nursery here might give me some good experience. I've only been here for about a month, but Im learning a lot."

Lillie walked up, confused.

"Wait, you two know each other?"

"Yeah, Brock and I go back. He traveled with me through Kanto all the way to Sinnoh. So Brock, how's school?"

"Pretty good. I should be ready to graduate in a few years. What say you, me, and Misty go on a trip sometime, for old times sake?"

Ash was about to answer when sounds of a large scuffle were heard outside. The six rushed out to see a Midnight form Lycanroc battling a Bewear, each one swiping at eachother in an attempt to show dominance.

"Lycanrock, Bewear, stop this now!"

The two ignored John continuing their stalemate with no concern for their surroundings. Ash and his friends could only stare on in horror.

"What's going on? Why are they fighting each other?"

John clenched his fists in anger.

"These two are always fighting over territory, and unfortunately they like to use my ranch as a battlegroud. I've tried to get them to see sense, but nothing has worked."

Then, to Ash's horror, he saw a little Rockruff at its Mother's feet, barking frantically and trying to get her to stop. But the Lycanroc paid him no mind, and in her blind range sent her son flying, knocking him out with a pitiful wimper. This made Ash lose it completely.

"EENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!"

This got the two's attention, and they stopped brawling to stare in horror at what their brawl. Ash stormed over to the fallen Rockruff.

"Are you two so caught up in your own petty feud that you'll let your own children get hurt just to one up each other? Just look at him."

Rockruff let out a small whimper, horrified by what it had done. Bewear could only stare silently, knowing it was equally to blame. Ash brought him over to Brock.

"Can you help him, Brock?"

"Let me take him. It looks bad, but it might not be."

Ash handed the injured Pokémon over to Brock, who rushed it back inside.

Two hours passed with nothing changing. Ash helped Brock as best he could, while Lillie and Ilima stayed outside. Lycanroc and Bewear stood off to the side and far apart from each other, still horrified by what they had done. After what seemed like ages, Brock and Ash opened the door, everyone turning to them expectantly. The two of the smiled wide.

"Why don't you see for yourself?"

The Rockruff leapt out of the door, good as new and energetic as ever. It ran over to his mother, playfully running along her feet. Overjoyed to see her son healthy, the Lycanroc picked up its child, licking his face as she cradled it.

"Now I hope you two have learned to not let your feud get out of hand. What do you say, friends?"

The two adult Pokémon turned to each other, neither one doing anything for a minute. At last, Lycanroc set down her son and extended a claw to Bewear, who instead pulled her into a bear hug. Although surprised at first, the Lycanroc laughed and returned it. Brock turned to his assistant.

"Well Ash, another feud between Pokémon settled. You sure have a way of bringing people and Pokémon together, that's for sure."

"What can I say, all in a days work."

Just then, John came running out.

"Lillie, your egg is hatching!"

"Oh my!"

All five humans ran inside to find Lillie's egg glowing. Before their very eyes, the glow expanded, and when it died down an unusual looking Vulpix sat curled up in a ball on the table.

"Woah, an Alolan Vulpix!"

"She's so cute!"

The Vulpix opened her eyes and saw Lillie. Seeing her as its mother, she walked over and nuzzled against her legs. Smiling, Lillie picked up the baby Vulpix and cuddled it.

"I think I'll name you Snowy."

Snowy let out a content "Vul". Rotom saw his opportunity to record new data and flew right in front of her, startling her.

"Ooooh, new data to collect. Zzzzzt, lets see, Vulpix, the fox Pokémon, Alola variant, an ice type. Vulpix has white fur and was discovered on Mount Lanakila. Its breath can reach a temperature of 60 below zero, freezing anything it touches."

Scared by the unknow device, Snowy began to cry, icicles falling to the floor in spades as Lillie tried to calm her down. Once Lillie calmed her down, she glared at Rotom.

"Rotom, she was just hatched! You can't just shove yourself in her face like that. There there, Snowy, its alright."

"Zzzzzt, its not my fault, I'm not great with kids. I'm a Pokedex, not a babysitter."

After staying the night at John's insistence, Ash and his friends were ready to leave the next morning, Snowly sleeping soundly in Lillie's arms.

"Take care, Ash. Good luck on your Trials, you know I'm behind you 100 percent of the way."

"Thanks Brock, it was great to see you again. Good luck in school."

Off to the side, Lycanroc, Bewear, and Rockruff watched the emotional goodbye. Rockruff watched in envy, wanting to join them on their journey. Lycanroc, seeing her son's desire, nodded her head in blessing. Rockruff nuzzled her goodbye before yelping, causing Ash and crew to stop in their tracks.

"What is it, Rockruff?"

"I think he wants to join your team, Ash."

"Is that really true, Rockruff?"

Rockruff barked in confirmation, nodding determinately. Ash smiled broadly and tapped a Pokeball to its forehead, capturing him in bright glow. The ball didn't even shake, blinking immediately to confirm its successs. Ash smile grew wider as he did a victory pose.

"Alright, I just caught a Rockruff!

"Pika Pika!"

With two new friends added to their group, Ash and his pals set off for their next adventure.


	15. Mysterious New Rival

Chapter 15: Mysterious New Rival

Ash and Ilima continued on through Route 5, Lillie having decided to head back to Heahea City to show Professor Kukui Snowy.

"I hope she made it back alright. She's never been in a Pokémon battle before."

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Ash. After all, she has Snowy to protect her, and Nebby's always looking for an excuse to get out of her bag."

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"What was that?"

"Come on!"

"Pika!"

Hau watched as his Dartrix collapsed, costing him the fight. Still, he couldn't help but laugh as his opponent recalled his Pokémon.

"Heh, that was a good battle. Congrats."

His opponent sniffed, refusing Hau's outstretched hand.

"Plese, I can tell you weren't trying your hardest. How can one consider themselves a true Pokémon trainer I they don't give it their all in every battle?"

"Hey man, chill. All that matters is that we have fun, right?"

"Hau, are you alright!"

The two turned to see Ash and Ilima running towards them.

"We heard a scream, is everyone okay?"

Hau nodded, laughing heartedly.

"Oh yeah, Im having a blast. This guy and I were just having a battle, and I got over excited."

Hau's opponent scoffed.

"Please, that wasn't a battle, it was barely a warm up. His Dartrix didn't couldn't even scratch my Pokémon."

This got Ash's temper rising.

"Hey, just because he lost doesn't mean you get to talk like that!"

"Ash, really, its no-"

"You and me, right here right now!"

The mysterious teenager just snorted.

"Very well, but don't cry when you lose."

A few minutes later, the two of them stood on the path several feet apart.

"One on one, no time limit. Deal?"

Ash's opponent nodded.

"Agreed. Go, Type Null!"

The strangest Pokémon either Ash or his friends had either seen. It was a chimera of mishmash body parts, an armored helmet concealing its face. It snorted and pawed at the Earth ready for battle.

"Woah, I've never seen a Pokémon like that before. Rotom, got anything?"

Rotom searched for a minute before coming up empty handed.

"Zzzzt, sorry Ash, but I cant find anything. It must be a species that's never been discovered before."

"Hey, stop talking to your freaky Pokedex and send out your Pokémon. If you're not going to take this seriously, do us both a favor and leave."

Ash grunted, but complied.

"Show him what you've got, Pikachu!"

"Pika Pikachu!"

The electric rodent leapt off of Ash's shoulder, cheeks sparking to life with electricity.

"Hmph, your Pikachu doesn't stand a chance. Null, use Take Down."

"Quick Attack, Pikachu!"

Type Null snorted and charged right at Pikachu, ramming the rodent before it could even reach the halfway mark. Pikachu recovered quickly, landing on its feet.

"Iron Tail Pikachu!"

"Null, use Iron Head."

Pikachu jumped towards his opponent with his tail glowing, but Type Null was quicker, encasing its helmet in hard steel to the point where the attack didn't do anything.

"X-Scissor, now."

While Pikachu was distracted, Type Null rammed him with his glowing horn, sending him flying back. Pikachu struggled to his feet, but stood firm.

"Use a Thunderbolt, Pikachu!"

With a loud "CHUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" Pikachu released a steady stream of electricity at his opponent, striking it head on. But Type Null barely reacted, shaking off the electricity as if it was nothing.

"Pathetic. Null, put him out of his misery with a Dragon Claw."

"Dodge it, Pikachu!"

But Pikachu was too worn out, and Type Null sent it flying with a single swipe. When he landed, Pikachu was unable to battle, netting Ash the loss.

"Pika."

"Its alright buddy, you did good."

"Hmph. Null, return."

The blonde teenager returned his Pokémon to its Pokeball before walking over to his opponent.

"Not many Pokémon can take that many hits from Null. Your Pikachu must be something."

"Thanks. That was a good match."

To Ash's surprise, the teenager ignored his outstretched hand, walking past him.

"There's a Pokémon center just before Brooklet Hill. I suggest you take your Pikachu there."

He stopped before Hau on his way.

"As for you, there's nothing wrong with battling for fun. But you? You're just using it as an excuse to not give it your all. Come fight me when you're ready to fight seriously."

Ash and Hau watched the teenager slouch away.

"Wait, what's your name?"

The teenager stopped, turning his head slightly to his fallen foes.

"You may call me Gladion."


	16. The Battle of Brooklet Hill

Chapter 16: The Battle of Brooklet Hill

"There you go, Ash! Your Pikachu is all better now! Good luck on your journey."

"Thanks Nurse Joy!"

After healing up their Pokémon, Hau went back to Route 5 to do some training while Ash called up Professor Oak to do a transfer.

"All set to go on ahead, Ash?"

"You bet! I heard Brooklet Hill is a hotspot for swimming, so I sent Heracross back and had Professor Oak send me..."

He opened the Pokeball, releasing his Totodile. The little blue Pokémon danced happily. Rotomdex emerged from Ash's pocket.

"Ooooh, a Totodile. Letzzzz see, Totodile: The Big Jaw Pokémon. Despite the smallness of its body, Totodile's jaws are very powerful. While it may think its playfully nipping, its bite has enough strength to cause serious injury."

Totodile opened his mouth wide, trying to bite the poor Rotomdex. Rotom flew out of the way quickly, looking rather annoyed as it flew back into Ash's pocket.

"Zzzzzt, hey! I didn't ask for a demonstration!"

Ash and Ilima laughed, but their fun was cut short when they saw what lay ahead. A line of Sudowoodo blocking the path ahead, their smug grins indicating that they weren't about to let them pass.

"Hey, get out of the way will ya? We got to get through!"

Ash's words fell on deaf ears, the tree Pokémon ready to stand their ground.

"Alright, you asked for it. Totodile, use-"

But before Ash could finish his command the Sudowoodo turned around, running for their lives. Ash allowed a smug smirk to cross his face.

"Yeah, and don't come back!"

"Are you two alright?"

Ash and Ilima turned to see a blue haired girl carrying a fishing rod walking up the lane.

"Yeah, we're fine. Those Sudowoodo were just in the way."

The girl laughed at this.

"Oh, those Sudowoodo are always up to mischief. But they don't bother me anymore, not since I blasted them with my Z-Move."

Ash and Ilima exchanged looks of surprise.

"Are you two headed to Brooklet Hill? I can show you the way, and make sure those Sudowoodo don't come back."

"That'd be great, thanks!"

"Great! My name's Lana by the way."

"I'm Ash, and he's Ilima.

With that, the trio were on the way. But Ilima couldn't help but shake off the feeling that he had seen her somewhere before.

By the time they reached Brooklet Hill, the sky began to darken. From the shore, they could see splashing in the water. Lana seemed worried.

"Oh dear, that may be a Pokémon causing trouble. Ash, could I ask you to go and check it out? I only brought one Pokémon, and she's not much of a battler."

Ash nodded confidently.

"Of course, I'm always looking for a battle."

"Great! As thanks, I'll let you borrow my Pokémon to help you on your journey. Go Lapras!"

The transport Pokémon emerged in a bright light, cooing lightly. Ash's grin widened.

"Alright! I used to have a Lapras too, back when I traveled in The Orange Islands."

"Hmm, I've heard of them before. Always wanted to go there, but never quite had the time."

Lapras lowered her neck, allowing Ash and Pikachu to climb on.

"Alright Lapras, head towards that splashing."

Lapras nodded, gliding over to the source. As Ash neared the location, rain began to pour. Lana and Ilima watched Ash's progress from the shore, Lana especially seeming to be intrigued.

"Its here..."

"Huh?"

Ilima's confusion was answered as a large shadow began to emerge from the waters, unnerving Ash.

"What the-"

With a burst of water, the figure emerged, a towering Pokémon with menacing glowing eyes, roaring as if to challenge Ash. Ash recovered from his shock and tilted his hat.

"Alright, you asked for it. Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikachuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

A single bolt of electricity shot out, striking the behemoth and causing it to roar out in pain. The monster shook it off quickly, striking back with Water Gun.

"Dodge it Pikachu, and then use Electro Ball!"

Pikachu leapt off of Lapras, launching a ball of electricity at the behemoth, shocking it once more. To Ash's surprise, the creature dispersed, water splashing back into the lake, leaving a Fish like Pokémon splashing about.

"So that's the Pokémon we've been facing. Rotom?"

"Way ahead of you, Ash! Wishiwash, the small fry Pokémon. When its in trouble, its eyes moisten and begin to shine. The shining light attracts its comrades, and they stand together against their enemies."

Realizing it no longer had any advantage over his opponents, the Wishiwashi swam away, only to be caught in a net from above. Ash knew who they were instantly.

"Team Rocket!"

The nefarious trio laughed proudly from their balloon.

"That's right twerp! We'll be taking this insanely powerful Pokémon off of your hands."

"Not if I have to say anything about it. Pikachu, go!"

"Pika Pi!"

"Oh yeah, well go Mareannie!"

James released his new Pokémon, expecting it to attack Ash...

Only for it to hug him instead, wrapping its poisonous spikes around his head instead. Fortunately, James managed to unlatch it from him, throwing it at Pikachu.

"Attack Pikachu, not me!"

Mareanie recovered quickly, shooting out Poison Jabs from its spikes.

"Iron Tail, Pikachu!"

Without even flinching, Pikachu swatted the jabs right back at them, causing them all to flinch in pain.

"Pikachu, use Thundershock!"

"PikaCHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Team Rocket could only holler in pain as electricity flowed through their bodies, causing their balloon to explode and for them to be sent flying off into the distance.

"Why do we always forget about Pikachu?"

"Forget that, what about that Pokémon?"

"Forget them both, because..."

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

With a twinkle team rocket was gone, the wishiwashi splashing harmlessly back into the lake. With a sigh of exhaustion, Ash drove Lapras back to the shore. Lana stood waiting for them, a smile of approval adorning her face.

"Well done, Ash! As a reward for defeating the totem Pokémon, please take this Waterium Z."

Lana placed the small blue crystal into Ash's hand. Ash's face broke out into a large grin.

"Alright, I just got a Waterium Z!"

"Pika Pi!"

Then Lana's words hit him full force.

"Wait, what? Totem Pokémon!"

"Oh, did I forget to mention? I'm one of the Trial Captains of Brooklet Hill. I must say, that was the most interesting trial I've witnessed in a long time. Well, why don t I treat you two to dinner to celebrate!"

Lana skipped cheerfully ahead, leaving Ash and Ilima agape.


	17. Battle Royal

Chapter 17: Battle Royal

True to Lana's word, Ash and Ilima were treated to a delicious meal at Mallow's family's restaurant, Mallow all to happy to serve them. While Ilima and Lana were enjoying their food quietly, Ash was shoving food into his face like the world was ending tomorrow.

"Oh man, Mallow, this stuff is amazing!"

Mallow laughed at Ash's appetite.

"Glad you like it! Sorry guys, I'd love to stay and chat some more, but duty calls."

"No problem, Mallow. Catch you at the Royal Avenue tonight?"

"You bet! I wouldn't miss a Battle Royal for the world!"

"What's a Battle Royal?"

Mallow and Lana gaped in shock.

"What? You've never seen a Battle Royal?"

"I've never been to Alola before. What's it like?"

"Oh boy, are you in for a treat."

That night, the four of them headed to the Royal Avenue. To say Ash was surprised by the size of it was an understatement. What he expected to just be a small battle stadium turned out to be a small town, with its own Pokémon center and supermarket.

"Man, this must be a big event."

"Oh you have no idea. The people who organize this go all out."

Ash was quickly ushered into the main battle hall. The lobby was massive, with trainers and spectators alike crowding the hall, trading tips and discussing who will win.

"Hey look, its The Masked Royal!"

"No way!"

"Huh?"

Ash turned to see a large muscular masked man signing autographs and giving little kids high fives. The Masked Royal saw them and walked over.

"Hey there! You all looking forward to the Battle Royal?"

"Haven't I seen you somewhere before?"

The Masked Royal did a double take, panicking before answering Ash's question.

"Well, uh, I get that a lot actually. But no, of course not. Trust me, you have no idea who I am underneath this mask."

"Oh, okay. So, what's a Battle Royal?"

The Masked Royal caught his breath, relieved Ash believed him, before shoving his finger in Ash's face.

"Four! Four trainers face off in the ultimate battle to the finish! Its the ultimate free for all where four trainers test their skills against one another, all until one Pokémon remains."

Ash's face lit up in excitement.

"Sweet! I want to give it a try."

The Masked Royal gave a hearty laugh.

"Ten four, I like your spunk! We just need two more to join our free for all."

"Woah, is that The Masked Royal!"

The group turned to see Hau and Sun running towards them.

"No way, I saw him first!"

"Yeah, but I got first dibs on his autograph."

"Woah, woah, easy there fellas. Tell you what, Ash and I were about to have a Battle Royal. Care to join?"

Sun and Hau's faces lit up in excitement.

"Heck yeah! Lets do this!"

"Moon will never believe that I fought The Masked Royal. She'll be so jealous!"

Once more The Masked Royal bellowed out in laughter.

"Great! Our foursome is complete! Come on, we better get registered."

An hour later, all four were on the stage in their respective corners as the MC started the show.

"Good evening, Alola! I'm coming to you from Royal Avenue here on Akala Island to give you all the exciting action, right here on ABC! We've got a good one for you tonight. In the red corner, we have Sun from Pua Town, Melemelee Island!"

A mild amount of applause erupted, Sun waving his cap in appreciation.

"In the yellow corner, we have Hau, Grandson of Kahuna Hala from Iki Town!"

The crowd clapped and cheered, Hau giving his usual cheery grin and wave.

"In the green corner, all the way from Pallet Town in the Kanto region, give it up for Ash Ketchum!"

Although somewhat quieter, the crowd still gave Ash his proper respect, the trainer giving his trademark sign.

"And in the blue corner, give it up for our favorite mystery man, The Masked Royal!"

This time the whole stadium was in an uproar, whoops and cheers echoing all around as the masked man waved his arms.

"Alright, let's go over the rules for any newbies out there. Unlike a regular battle, our 4 trainers are going all out against each other till one is left standing. For this battle, each trainer will use one Pokémon and only one Pokémon. Once our referee have declared a Pokémon unable to battle, that trainer is out of the match and any attempt to interfere with the battle afterwards will result in a permanent ban from future events. The winner is the last Pokemon standing. Does everyone understand and agree to these terms?"

The four nodded, eyes lit with determination.

"Then lets get ready to BATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"Lets go Rockruff!"

"Pikachu, I choose you!"

"Dartrix, its our time to shine!"

"Brionne, light up the night!"

The four Pokémon burst out of their Pokeballs, ready to fight.

"Rockruff, start things off with Rockthrow on Dartrix!"

"Water Gun, Brionne!"

"Leaf Blade!"

"Thunderbolt!"

The stage was a lit with a barrage of attacks. The Masked Royal's Rockruff shot out large rocks at Dartrix, who while taking some hits managed to evade most and countered with leaf blade right to the forehead. Brionne flopped to Dartrix's aid, hitting Rockruff with a blast of water...

Only to receive a painful jolt of electricity, groaning in pain and forced to end its assault. Even after the electricity had stopped, static sparked along its body, signifying it was paralyzed.

"What an explosive start! While Pikachu is untouched, Brionne is Paralyzed! Even if it can move, it definitely wont be moving very fast."

"We can still win. Brionne, use Bubble Beam!"

"Hit him with a Volt Tackle, Pikachu!"

"Rockruff, hit Dartrix with a Rock Tomb!"

Before Hau could even issue a command, a rain of rocks fell down on poor Dartrix, encasing him completely before exploding. When the light faded, Dartrix was out cold.

"Dartrix is unable to battle! Pokémon Trainer Hau is out of the match."

"Incredible! Not even two minutes into the match and The Masked Royal has already knocked Hau out! But three Pokémon remain, and from the looks of it this battle is far from over."

Although upset from losing, Hau kept a brave face as he returned Dartrix to its Pokeball.

"Good job, Dartrix. You deserve a good long rest."

Meanwhile, the battle raged on. Popplio managed to struggle through its Paralysis enough to hit Rockruff with a burst of bubbles...

Only to be rammed with an electrically charged Pikachu, sending it into the arena wall. It landed with a thud, out cold.

"Brionne is unable to battle! Pokémon trainer Sun is out of the match!"

"Two down, two to go folks. Who will prevail, Pikachu or Rockruff?"

The two Pokémon circled each other, panting heavily and not able to take much more.

"Crunch, Rockruff!"

"Pikachu, finish this with Iron Tail!"

The two charged each other, barred teeth meeting glowing tail clashing in the middle in a huge explosion. When the dust settled, Pikachu was barely standing, but Rockruff had collapsed, out for the count. For a second there was nothing but stunned silence before the referee made the call.

"Rockruff is unable to battle! The winner is Ash from Pallet Town!"

"Incredible, folks! Lets give it for our winner, ASSSSSSSSSSSSSH KEEEEEEEEEETCHUUUUUM!"

The stadium filled with roars and cheers, Ash just modestly basking in the glory as The Masked Royal walked up to him.

"Woo! Haven't had a battle that fun in a long time. Way to go, Ash!"

"Thanks, Mr. Royal. So, who's behind the mask?"

"Sorry, kid. Closely guarded secret."

"Ah Man!"

Later that night, Professor Kukui sat in his motel room, talking on the phone to Professor Burnett.

"Oh man, really? Well that sucks, Lillie thought she might get some answers about Nebby. Oh well, let me know if anything changes. Right, goodnight. Love you, too."

After hanging up he went to turn off the light, leaving a very familiar mask lying in the closet.


	18. The Art of Battle

Chapter 18: The Art of Battle

The next morning, Ash and Ilima headed north for Wela Volcano Park, Ilima reading a brochure for the location.

"They say the hot springs there are the best for relaxation and rejuvenation. The perfect place for fire Pokémon."

"I bet Torrcat will like that, huh Pikachu?"

"Pika Pika!"

"Hold it right there, twerp!"

Ash and Pikachu sighed as Team Rocket burst out from the bushes. Ilima, on the other hand, nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Don't you three ever get tired of losing?"

"No, and neither do our fans!"

Ilima turned to Ash in surprise.

"Ash, you know these three? They're part of Team Rocket!"

"Trust me, they don't represent the best of the organization. They've been trying to kidnap Pikachu since I started my journey, and they always fail!"

"Not this time we won't! Hand over the fancy bracelet, buddy boy!"

"No way, get your own!"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"What's going on here?"

Everyone turned to see a dark skinned man with orange streaks in his hair running down the path.

"Stay out of this, bub! This is between us and them twerps."

"As a trial captain, it is my duty to prevent troublemakers like you from tearing apart Alola, so it is my business! Go, Marowhack!"

The stranger released an unusual looking Marowhack, being black and carrying a flaming bone.

"If that's the way you want to go, then fine! Go, Mareannie…No, not me! Him!"

"Seviper, show him who's boss!"

The three Pokémon burst out, staring each other down intensely.

"Poison sting, Seviper!"

"Water Gun, Mareannie!"

"Dodge, Marowhack!"

The unusual Marowhack danced around the attacks with ease, moving as if it were a graceful dancer. Team Rocket noticed this and burst out laughing.

"Ah look, his Marowhack wants to be a pretty ballerina."

"That's cute, but you need more than flashy dance moves to beat us."

While they were laughing, Marowhack dug a tunnel underground. By the time the trio had composed themselves, it had already disappeared.

"Hey, where'd he go?"

"Probably got embarrassed and ran away."

"I don't think so. Marowhack, use Bone club!

Marowhack burst out of the ground in front of Seviper, knocking it out with a barrage of bone smacks.

"Hit him with a Poison jab, Mareannie!"

Enraged by her comrades defeat, Mareannie spewed a barrage of energy spikes at her foe. Marowhack scoffed, jumping out of the way before landing on a handstand.

"Finish this off with a Bonemerang!"

Marowhack jumped off, hurling its club at Mareannie, smacking it on its back. Mareannie jumped up, ready to fight back…

Only to be hit once more by the returning weapon, knocking it down for the count.

"Now get out of here before I make you."

Upon seeing the stranger's Z Ring, James and Jesse hurriedly recalled their Pokémon and ran for the hills.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Ash and Ilima just sweat dropped at the trio's antics.

"Typical Team Rocket. Thanks, stranger."

"Your welcome. My name is Kiawe."

"I'm Ash, and he's Ilima. Cool Marowhack. Is he an Alolan form?"

"Alolan form? Oh, you must be from Kanto. He sure is, a Ghost and Fire Type."

"Woah, that's so cool. And that way he was fighting, he looked like a dancer."

"Oh, you mean Capoeira."

"Capo-what a?"

Ilima stepped in.

"Capoeira, it's a style of fighting that incorporates aspects of dancing, acrobatics, and dancing into its fighting style. I learned about it in during my time in Kalos."

"Woah, that is so cool. Do you think you can teach Pikachu?"

"Pika Pika?"

Kiawe laughed cheerfully.

"Of course! I teach a class at the summit of Wela Volcano at sunset tonight. What about you, Ilima? Fancy a lesson."

"I don't see why not. I'm sure Eevee would like to learn something new."

"Great! Remember, Wela Volcano, sunset. See ya then."

At sunset, Ash, Ilima, and several others gathered at the summit. After an hour, all of the Pokémon got the basics down and were sparring. Pikachu and Eevee were sparring, Eevee dodging a break-dancing inspired kick with a somersault before doing a spin kick. Despite this, both were having the time of their lives while their trainers watched amused.

"Man, my friends May, Dawn, and Serena would love this stuff. Their Pokémon coordinators who are always looking for ways to spice up their Performances."

"Indeed. It sure does make the battle look beautiful."

"I see you two are enjoying the class?"

The two turned to see Kiawe walking over to them, handing out warm towels.

"You bet! This class is awesome!"

"That's wonderful! Should I expect you for the next class?"

Ash shook his head.

"No thanks. Its great, but I want to keep going on my Island challenge. I've got three Z Crystals and I'm raring for a fourth."

Kiawe's smile grew into a grin.

"Well then, its your lucky day. Your looking at the Trial Captain of Wela Volcano Park!"

Ash's jaw dropped.

"Really? You're a trial captain?"  
"Sure am. But if its alright with you, I'd like to do this tomorrow. I have some things I need to prepare, and I think you and your Pokemon could use some rest."

Ash's long yawn confirmed his statement.

"Yeah, I agree. Its been a long day."

And with that, Ash passed out, causing everyone to laugh as he snored away.

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this. Before I go, I'd like to respond to some reviews left by Pokefan. Since he's a guest reviewer, this is the best way to address them in case anyone else feels this way.

1\. Honestly, I forgot about Ash's 30 Tauros, not that its very hard to considering he hardly used them (plus their introduction episode never got dubbed). But honestly, if you were a cattle rancher and you saw a mad bull charging at you, wouldn't you be freaked out?

2\. Hey, at least it was a second stage starter and not a first stage starter (looking at you, Trip). Also, I'm still new to writing battle sequences, so just chalk it up to being out of practice or something if you want. Plus, I didn't want every battle Sun was to end to end up with him losing.

3\. Again, still figuring out how to write Pokémon battles. And don't worry, I have a plan for Mega Evolution. MWAHAAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHHHAHHAHAHAHAHHAH!

4\. Don't worry, you'll be seeing more of bagon soon. Didn't originally plan to use Gible, but now you've got my brain cranking.

5\. Yeah, I'll admit that the Alola League was a letdown. Don't worry, when we get to that part of the story it'll be much more interesting, and Ash will earn whatever ranking he gets.

6\. Ash is fifteen in this story, as is Lillie. Ilima is 17. And again, still figuring out how to write battles.

7\. I don't know about drastic, but changes to the story will be occurring soon, mainly involving the Ultra Beasts and Team Rocket.

Hope this helped!


	19. Dance, Dance, Evolution

Chapter 19: Dance, Dance, Evolution!

The next afternoon, Ash and Ilima headed up to the top of Wela Volcano for Ash's third trial. Kiawe was waiting for them with his Marowhack.

"Are you ready, Ash?"

"You bet! If this trial is anything like your class, then this will be awesome!"

"Good. Then let the trial commence! Ilima, I must ask that you step off to the side so that we have plenty of room."

Ilima nodded, sitting on some bleachers just out of the way. Kiawe then turned to Ash.

"My trial is simple. Marowhack will perform a dance, and then your Pokémon must replicate it. If it is successful, you may continue. If it fails, you must win a battle before continuing. You may change Pokemon, but each Pokemon must stay in for a full round. Do you accept these terms?"

"Challenge accepted! Pikachu will go first. You ready, buddy?"

"Pika Pi!"

"Very well. Let the trial begin!"

Marowhack and Pikachu stared each other down before Marowhack began its dance. It was a simple one, simply swaying its arms back and forth gently, before clasping them above his head and slowly swaying his body. Once it was finished it nodded, indicating to Pikachu it was his turn. Pikachu copied the dance perfectly, Kiawe nodding in approval.

"Excellent, you have passed the first test. Do you wish to keep Pikachu in?"

Before Ash could answer, Rockruff burst out of its Pokeball, giving an excited "Ruff!"

"Huh? You want to do the next once, buddy?"

"Ruff Rockruff!"

"Well alright then. You alright with that, Pikachu?"

Pikachu nodded his head in understanding before running up to Ash's shoulder.

"Has the challenger chosen his next Pokemon?"

"Rockruff will take you on."

"Very well. Then let the next dance begin!"

Marowhack went for a break dance this time, sweeping its legs around its body while spinning its club, ending in a striking pose.

"Alright Rockruff, do exactly what he did. Got it?"

"Ruff!"

The little puppy began to replicate the dance. At first all went well, but halfway through, it tripped over its tail, sending it spinning to the ground. Although it wasn't severely hurt, it was upset that it failed.

"Hey, its alright Rockruff, you did your best. We can still pass, we just need to win a quick battle. I know you can do it."

Rockruff smiled as Ash stroked his fur, letting out a small purr as Ash turned to Kiawe.

"Alright, send out your Pokemon."

Kiawe smiled, knowing what was coming next.

"Oh, I never said you'd be battling me."

"Huh? But then who-"

"ALOLA!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Ash nearly jumped out of his skin at this unexpected greeting. He turned to see a blonde haired hiker smiling at him.

"Heh heh, sorry about that. I'm kind of socially awkward. Name's David."

"Well then David, you ready to rumble?"

"You know it, Ash. Magmar, I choose you!"

David's Magmar burst out, flaming fists barred for battle.

"Alright. Rockruff, you're up."

"Rock Rockruff!"

"Battle start!"

"Fire Punch, Magmar!"

"Rockruff, use Rock Tomb!"

Magmar charged, fists blazing brightly. Rockruff shot out rocks from his mane, encasing the fire Pokémon. Although it suffered some damage, the rocks barely slowed Magmar down as he just blasted right through them, landing a blow on Rockruff who barely flinched.

"Hit him with a Flamethrower, Magmar!"

"Rock Slide, now!"

Magmar shot out bursts of fire, only for them to be blocked by rocks emerging from the ground before Rockruff hurled them at his opponent. Magmar kept up his flamethrower, bursting some of them before the rest battered him, knocking him to his knees.

"Finish him off with Zen Headbutt, Rockruff!"

Before David could issue another command, Rockruff dashed up to Magmar and headbutted him right in the gut, knocking him down for the count.

"Magmar is unable to battle. The battle goes to challenger Ash and Rockruff!"

"Way to go Rockruff! Return."

"Ruff."

Rockruff wagged his tail as Ash recalled him, as did David with his Magmar.

"You did good, buddy. Take a nice long rest."

Kiawe watched as David joined Ilima in the audience before turning to Ash.

"Now it is time for the final dance. Send out your last Pokemon."

"Totodile, you're up!"

The enthusiastic Pokemon burst onto the scene doing a little dance out of joy.

"Alright buddy just pay attention to what Marowhack does and copy him. You up for it?"

"Totodile!"

"That's the spirit. Ready when you are Kiawe!"

Kiawe nodded before turning to his Marowhack.

"Excellent. Let the final dance begin!"

Marowhack started by doing a few simple waltz, moving slowly and elequoently. Suddenly, it leapt out of the waltz and began spinning, ending with a limbo stance.

"Alright Totodie, looks pretty…Totodile?"

Ash's Totodile was staring at an overhead flock of Butterfree, having missed the whole thing. Ash fell to the ground in embarrassment.

"Oh well. Come on David, guess its time to go again."

Kiawe smirked broadly.

"Oh, I have a different opponent in mind for you."

"Huh?"

The Earth began to shake, Ash and Totodile struggling to maintain their balance. From out of nowhere, a large Salazzle slammed into the ground, roaring at them.

"Looks like the Totem Pokémon wants to fight. You ready, Totodile?"

"Dile!"

"Alright, hit it with a Water Gun!"

Totodile spewed water right at his opponent, who countered with a sludge bomb. The two attacks connected in the middle, the water gun breaking up to the poison before landing a hit on the Totem Pokemon, pushing it back. But the poison still hit Totodile, making him flinch.

"Totodile, shake it off and use Aqua Tail!"

Quickly collecting his bearings, the little Pokémon swatted at his opponent with a water covered tail. The much larger Salazzle didn't even flinch and slammed him onto the ground, crushing Totodile under its massive claw as he struggled to get free.

"Totodile, Hang in there!"

"Dile!"

Salazzle seemed to be laughing at Totodile's pathetic attempts to escape, it prepared another Sludge Bomb to finish it off…"

Only for Totodile to begin glowing, growing larger to everyone's awe. When the glow died down, a Croconaw was now in its place.

"Woah, Totodile! You evolved!"

While Salazzle was caught by surprise, Croconaw took his chance and pushed up with all his might, lifting his opponent off of him with ease before slamming him onto the ground, leaving the Totem Pokemon dazed and confused.

"Finish him off with Hydro Pump, Croconaw!"

By the time Salazzle had gathered its bearings, the Hydro Pump hit is mark, knocking it out cold. After a moment of stunned silence, Kiawe made the call.

"Totem Salazzle is unable to battle. The winner is the challenger Ash Ketchum and his Croconaw!"

"Alright, way to go Croconaw!"  
Croconaw smiled at his trainer's gentle strokes, content…

Only to snap and try and bite him a moment later. Luckily, Ash pulled his hand away at the right moment, chuckling at his Pokemon's antics.

"I guess some things never change. Return, Croconaw."

Everyone laughed, as the Totem Pokemon slunk off into the shadows.


	20. A Ghost of a Chance

A/N: Happy Halloween, everybody! Hope you enjoy this little chapter about our favorite incompetent trio Team Rocket.

Chapter 20: A Ghost of a Chance

(Malie Marina, Midnight)

In a secluded part of the marina, Team Rocket's submarine slowly emerged from the depths, stopping at the disused dock. The terrible trio emerged, having returned from collecting Z Crystals. They were cross, because while they now had 10 Z Crystals, they had no way to use them. All of their efforts to steal Ash's Z Ring had ended in vain.

"Grrr, that stupid twerp! No matter if we're trying to steal his Pikachu or his Z Ring, we always come up short!"

"Come on, we better get back to base. Da boss is expecting a progress report in the morning. At least we have something to show for our efforts."

Dejected, the trio returned to their base.

The trio returned to their run-down base. Once a popular supermarket, an unusual series of events forced the management to abandon the site, fearing it was haunted by spirits from the cemetery they built it on. Now all that remained were rows and rows of empty shelves, where the trio had lay down their sleeping bags. But unbeknownst to the trio as they got ready for bed, they were being watched by a shadowy figure. Suddenly, Meowth heard a noise.

"Hey, you guys hear that?"

"Hear what, Meowth? I didn't hear anything."

"Meowth, if you're trying to scare us you need to do better than that."

The noise came again. All three turned to see a shadowy figure dash off into the darkness.

"Hey! Get your own secret base, ya creep!"

"Come on, we need to catch them. If they blab to the police about us, our whole operation is kaput!"

Rejuvenated and cross, the trio gave chase, unaware of many pairs of eyes watching their every move.

The trio slumped over, out of breath and empty handed.

"Just great! First we can't steal a simple bracelet, and now our whole operation is in jeopardy."

"We better move our base. Come on Jessie, lets go pack up everything important."

The trio turned around, not looking forward to a sleepless night…

Only to come face to face with a Haunter, its bizarre and inhuman face sending chills down their spines.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The trio took off running, only to run into more ghastly houseguests. A Gengar tripped them by emerging from the floor, sending them running in the opposite direction. Then a Ghastly telekinetically juggling left-over Pokémon dolls while laughing at them. No matter where they turned, a new ghost was there waiting to scare them silly. At last they found themselves in a back room, out of breath and out of options.

"Alright, no more running! I say we show our tormentors that they can't push us around anymore!"

"Right!"

"Kyu."

The three turned to see a little Pokemon covered in a fabric modeled after a Pikachu glaring up at them.

"Well, look at this. A puny little Pikachu ripoff wants to scare us."

"Go back to wherever you came from, not-a-chu."

The three shared a good laugh while the Mimikyu growled in anger. Suddenly, it leapt up, hitting James with a Shadow Claw, sending him flying into a wall and knocking him out. This made Jesse furious.

"Nobody beats up James except me! Go, Seviper!"

Jesse's snake Pokemon emerged with a tremendous roar, but Mimikyu was not scared.

"Slam him, Seviper!"

Before Mimikyu could react, the serpent slammed right onto him, bouncing off as the ghost stood up. To Jesse's surprise and anger, Mimikyu was no worse for wear, although its head sagged to one side.

"You think you're so tough, don't you? Poison Tail, Seviper!"

Seviper roared and charged at its foe with a purple glowing tail, only for it to disappear into the shadows. Before Jesse could issue another command, it emerged once more…from Seviper's shadow.

"Behind you, Seviper!"

Luckily, Seviper managed to react in time and hit it with its tail, sending the Ghost flying into a wall. It slowly rose up, bruised but not out.

"Finish him off with another Poison Tail, Seviper!"

Seviper lunged once more, ready to go for the kill. Mimikyu recovered and countered with a Shadow Claw, their attacks meeting in the middle with a ferocious clash. Although they remained even at first, Seviper's weight and power won out, slamming Mimikyu into a wall once more and knocking it out. Jesse's chance had come.

"You won't be tormenting us anymore. Go, Pokeball!"

Jesse's Pokeball swallowed Mimikyu in a bright flash of light. After several seconds, a ding confirmed the capture.

"Ha! Try and break out of that, Not-a-chu!"

As if hearing her challenge, the Pokeball began to shake once more as if Mimikyu was trying to escape. Not wanting to deal with it again, Jesse grabbed it and clamped it shut until it stopped. It was then Jesse noticed two objects lying on the ground. One was a Ghostinium Z Crystal, while the other was…

"I don't believe it! A Z Ring!"

"After all this time, we finally have one!"

At that, a loud banging was heard from outside the door, the ghost Pokémon trying to get in. This freaked out Jesse and Meowth.

"Uh Meowth, I think its best we find another base of operations."

"Good idea."

Jesse slung James over her shoulder and they made their escape, hoping to finally get some sleep in a safer place.


	21. Sweet Victory

A/N: Alola, Sun and Moon Anime. For better or worse, you were Pokémon. Cant wait for the next series to begin!

Chapter 21: Sweet Victory

As a congratulations for passing his trial, Kiawe treated Ash and his Illima to lunch at Mallow's restaurant the next afternoon. Whilst Ilima ate his food quietly, Ash and Kiawe were having an eating contest, loudly slurping of the food like there was no tomorrow. At last, Ash slammed his bowl in victory.

"Done! Victory is mine!"

Kiawe slumped over in defeat.

"Aw man, I thought I had it."

Just then, Mallow walked over and put their check on the table.

"Alright boys, time to pay up."

Kiawe reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet to pay…

Only to find the only occupants of it were dust bunnearies.

"Um, do either of you guys think you could loan me some money?'

Ash and Ilima did a double take, shocked.

"You said you would pay! What gives?"

"Hey, cut me some slack! I don't get paid for being a Trial Captain, and the Thrifty Megamart doesn't pay me until Friday!"

"Well, I can't pay either. I had to put my tutoring sessions on hold to travel with Ash."

Ash sighed in defeat.

"Alright, I'll pay. Let's see, what's the damage…WHAT?!"

Ash felt like his eyes were about to bulge out of his head. The bill was way above what he had on him right that moment.

"I don't understand, how could it be this much?"

"Well, you guys did have 10 bowls of soup each."

Ash slumped over in his chair, defeated.

"Great, so none of us can pay. Guess it'll be an afternoon of washing dishes for us."

Mallow rubbed her chin in thought.

"Well, maybe not. I might have a solution for you."

All three leaned in curiously.

"See, there's this new recipe I've been wanting to try, but it requires a certain ingredient that I haven't been able to find: Yellow Nectar. It can only be found in two places, the Royal Avenue and Akala Meadow. But Royal Avenue is always sold out and I can never find enough free time to go searching in the meadow. If you guys can find me some, it'll more than pay for your bill and I'll consider us even steven."

Seeing as they really didn't have a choice, the three agreed, using Rotom's map to find the meadow.

It took them 10 minutes to find the meadow, just west of Wela Volcano. Once there. Ash checked Rotom for a picture of the yellow nectar as they walked.

"Huh, so that's what it looks like. I wonder where… Aha!"

To Ash's pleasant surprise, they found it rather quickly. As he bent down to pick it up, however…

"Corio!"

Ash had to dive out of the way as a Pom Pom Style Oricorio swooped down in an attempt to peck him. Ash looked up in confusion at the new Pokemon.

"Rotom, what's that Pokemon?"

"Zzzzt, way ahead of you, Ash! Oricorio, Pom Pom Style. The Dancing Pokemon. It creates electricity by rubbing its pom poms together. Then it dances as it approaches its opponent before attacking. When it drinks special nectars found only in Alola, it can change its type."

"Well, sorry Oricorio, but we need that. Rockruff, I choose you!"

"Rrrruff, ruff!"

The Oricorio glared, before letting out a sharp cry. Before Ash could react, two more Oricorio's swooped down, one a Balie Style and the other a Sensu style.

"Hey, three on one isn't fair!"

"Don't worry, Ash, we've got you. Go, Eevee!"

"Turtonator, I choose you!"

Illima and Kiawe sent out there Pokemon to aid Ash, Eevee taking the Sensu Style while Turtonator took the Balie Style.

"Rockruff, use Rock Throw!"

"Bite, Eevee!"

"Turtonator, use Fire Blast at full powerl!"

Rockruff growled before shooting rocks out of its fur at its opponent, battering it but not knocking it out before it returned fire with a thunderbolt, shocking Rockruff but not knocking him out.

Eevee leapt up, biting down hard on Oricorio's wing, causing it to yell in pain before attempting to fight back. Its attempts were futile, however, as its ghost type attacks were useless against the normal type and Eevee managed to hold on no matter how hard it tried to shake him off.

The Balie Style Oricorio had it the worse, not even landing a single hit before Turtonator's Flame Charge knocked it out with one hit.

"Finish him off with a Rock Tomb, Rockruff!"

"Crunch, Eevee!"

Before Rockruff's opponent could fire another Thunderbolt, it was barraged by falling rocks, the strain being too much and it passed out.

Eevee increased the pressure on Oricorio's wing, causing it to cry in pain before passing out, Eevee waiting to make sure it was down for the count before finally letting go, returning to his master's shoulder and nuzzling against him.

"Good work, Eevee. You did amazing."

"You too Rockruff."

Rockruff let out a content "ruff" as Ash stroked his fur before returning him to his Pokeball. Ash then picked up the yellow nectar.

"Alright, let's get this over to Mallow so we don't have to clean dishes all day."

"Right."

Mallow was waiting for them back at the restaurant. She smiled as Ash handed over the sweet nectar.

"Great, thanks guys! Your debt is now paid in full."

"That's great! Now I can get back to my journey."

"Oh, that reminds me Ash. My trial is all set up when you're ready."

"That's great!"

Ash's enthusiasm was cut off by the sound of his stomach growling.

"Well, maybe tomorrow. All that searching worked up an appetite. Got any more food, Mallow?"

Everyone, including Ash, laughed.

"No, I'm serious."


	22. Sugar and Spice

Chapter 22: Sugar and Spice Aren't So Nice

The next morning, Ash and Mallow were up bright and early heading to Lush Jungle for Ash's trial. Ilima and Kiawe had decided to stay back in town, Ilima deciding to do some shopping while Kiawe had to take care of something on Wela Volcano.

"You ready for our fifth Z Crystal, Pikachu?'

"Pika Pika!"

"Yeah, me too."

Mallow laughed at the two's enthusiasm.

"That's the spirit! You're going to need it if you want to clear my trial."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

And before Mallow could say anything else, Ash zoomed off on the path, leaving her to choke on his dust.

"Well, you can't say he isn't determined."

Ash found the Lush Jungle rather quickly and couldn't help but look on in awe at the beautiful flora all around him.

"Woah, I don't think I've ever seen something so beautiful. Have you, Pikachu?"

"Pika."

"Oh good, you made it here safely."

Ash turned to see Mallow walking up to him, a small bag in her hands.

"Alright, here's how my trial works. I need you to bring me everything on this list. We'll proceed from there."

Ash's jaw dropped at these instructions.

"But this forest is huge! It'll take me ages to find these four."

"Don't worry, I've accounted for that."

She took out her ride pager, scrolling through the options before selecting her option.

"Now we just wait, and…"

Her explanation was cut short as a Stoutland burst out of the underbrush before tackling Ash, licking his face enthusiastically. Ash couldn't help but laugh at its antics.

"Heh Heh, down boy."

"This here is Ranger, my personal ride Pokémon. Now Ranger, you be a good boy and help Ash, alright."

"Land Stoutland!"

Ranger smiled broadly as Mallow stroked his fur soothingly. More determined than ever, Ash took Mallow's list and foraging bag and climbed onto Ranger's back.

"Alright Ranger, YA!"

With a slight kick, Ranger hurried off, Ash keeping a keen eye out for what they needed as Mallow watched them go.

"Good luck, Ash. You're going to need it."

It wasn't long before Ash found his first item, which was a Tiny Mushroom.

"Alright, first catch of the day! This might be easier than I thought."

"Paraseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeect."

"Huh?'

Ash turned to see the glowing white eyes of a Parasect glaring menacingly at him from the underbrush, claws snapping the air ready to snap him in half.

"Then again, maybe nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot!"

After an hour of searching, battling an running, Ash finally made his way back to Mallow at the entrance. Mallow stared at his disheveled look.

"What-"

"Don't. Ask."

"Well, I see you managed to find everything. Good job, Ranger."

The Stoutland smiled as Mallow lovingly stroked his head while looking towards the entrance.

Ash turned to see Lana and kiawe entering the forest.

Lana, Kiawe, what's up?"

"Hey Ash!"

"Mallow asked us to bring some things to help with the trial."

"Oh good, now that everything is set up the final part of the trial can begin."

After a moments set up, the four of them sat in a circle with the ingredients laid out in front.

"Alright Mallow, pass me the fresh water."

"Here you go."

"Thank you, and Kiawe pass me the Rare Bone."

"All yours."

"Now Ash, I need you to pour in the Mago Berry, Tiny Mushroom, Revival Herb, and Miracle Seed into the bowl."

After Ash did so, Mallow began mashing the ingredients into a paste, producing a sweet odor that filled the air. Ash sniffed the air in delight.

"MMM, that smells good."

Once the odor had died down, Ash noticed that his friends were staring behind him in fear.

"Uh, you guys alright?"

Kiawe shakily pointed his finger behind him, Ash turned only to come face to face with a large Lurantis, blade arms ready to strike.

"LURANTIS!"

"Be careful, Ash! That's the Totem Pokémon!"

"Really? Then I better learn what I'm getting into. Rotom…"

"What ahead of you, Ash! Zzzzt, ah here we go! Lurantis, the Bloom Sickle Pokémon. A grass type, and the evolved form of Formantis. It fires beams from its sickle-shaped petals. These beams are powerful enough to cut through thick metal platezzzt."

"A Grass type, huh? Then I'll go with my Torracat!"

"Torra Torracat!"

Ash's fire type eyed his opponent, scratching the earth ready for battle. The Lurantis growled menacingly.

"Alright Torracat, use Flame Charge!"

With a mighty battle cry, Torracat shot out in a burst of flames, ramming his opponent right in the gut. The Lurantis was winded, but quick to recover and retaliated with a Leaf Blade, knocking his opponent off him.

"Flamethrower, Torrcat!"

Seeing the huge wall of flame approaching, Lurantis acted fast, launching a Petal Blizzard. Although the heat evaporated most of the leaves, some still hit Torracat, scratching him while the flamethrower left Lurantis scorched but not out.

"Fire Fang, Torracat!"

Torracat leapt up, teeth bursting with fire ready to bite…

Only to be hit by a Hyper Beam right to the face, landing painfully on the forest ground.

"Torracat, are you alright?"

With a weak "Torr" his Pokemon stood up, shaking off the attack. Looking at his Z Ring, Ash got an idea.

"Alright, lets show this Totem Pokémon that it cant mess with us. Lets go for a full force Z Move, Inferno Overdrive!"

After doing a small series of poses, energy shot into Torracat, boosting its fire power up as it built up energy around it, becoming a large ball of fire before launching itself at its foe. Lurantis, still reeling from the Hyper Beam, could do nothing more than watch in horror before being slammed into, causing a huge explosion. When the flames died down, Torrcat stood wearily over his fallen foe.

"Alright, way to go Torrcat!"

Although exhausted, Torrcat purred happily as Ash scratched his chin before returning him to his Pokeball.

"Way to go, Ash! The Grassium Z is yours."

Ash smiled cheerily as Mallow handed him his reward.

"Alright, I just got a Grassium Z!"

"Pika Pi!"

"And since that was the last trial, you're all set to take on Olivia."

"Sweet! I can't wait."

Kiawe and Lana, feeling hungry, poured themselves some of the dish. Mallow, seeing what they were doing, became worried.

"Wait, don't! It may smell sweet, but its really…"

Her cries were drowned out as the two howled in pain, dashing out of the forest.

"Spicy."


	23. Tunnel Trouble

Chapter 23: Tunnel Trouble

Fresh off his latest victory, Ash strode confidently back to Heahea City, admiring his Z Crystals along the way as Ilima trailed behind.

"Alright buddy, you ready to take on our second Grand Trial?"

"Pika Pikachu!"

"Yeah, me too!"

"Be careful, Ash. I remember fighting her during my Island Challenge, and she was by no means easy. Her Rock Type Pokémon will deal great damage towards any unsuspecting challenger."

"Rock types, huh? Well, my Croconaw should take care of them easily, but just in case I should make a call to Professor Oak once we reach the city."

Before long they reached the city outskirts. Professor Kukui and Lillie were there, Snowy snuggly sleeping in Lillie's arms.

"Ash, Ilima, over here!"

"Hi guys!"

"Hey Lillie, Professor. What've you guys been up to?"

"Well, Lillie and I have been getting acquainted with little Snowy here. Isn't she just the cutest?"

"She sure is. Hey professor, is Burnett's lab back up and running?"

Kukui shook his head sadly.

"Sadly, no. They were picking up some high energy readings a few days ago when their sensors went haywire! Next thing you know, all of the power is shut down and the generators are beyond repair. They said it will take at least a month before the new ones are delivered and set up."

"That's too bad. How is she taking it?"

"Oh, she's taking it pretty well. She's been using the time to get some things done around the house. You know, paying bills, cleaning, patching the roof for the umpteenth time…"

Everyone shared a good laugh at that.

"But enough about that, how is the crystal collecting going?"

"Great! I just finished up Mallow's trial, bringing me up to five."

Kukui's smile widened.

"Great! That means you're all set to take on Olivia! Which reminds me, Olivia asked me to tell you to meet her at her jewelry shop in Konikori City. Just go through Diglett's Tunnel and you'll reach it in no time."

"Great! Let's a go!"

"You three go on ahead, I'm heading back to Melemele Island to spend some time with Burnett. Catch you guys later."

After waving goodbye to the Professor, the trio set off for Diglett's Tunnel.

The tunnel was long and dim, making it hard to see. Fortunately, the light from Rotom was bright enough to see where they were going.

"How much longer, Ash?"

"It looks like we're about halfway there. How are you doing back there, Lillie?"

When he didn't get a response, Ash turned around…

Only to find that Lillie wasn't behind them.

"Ilima, where's Lillie?"

Concerned, Ilima turned to find nothing behind him.

"I don't know, she was behind me a minute ago!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Did you hear that?"

"That could be Lillie. We better go check it out!"

The two instantly headed off in the direction of the scream to find two people in pink uniforms lying on the ground in defeat, two Team Skull grunts standing over them triumphantly.

"That's what you get chumps!"

"Next time you better think twice about getting in the way of Team Skull."

"Hey, pick on someone your own size!"

When the two grunts saw Ash and Ilima running towards them, their eyes went wide with fright.

"Yo dawg, those are the guys Tupp, Zipp, and Rapp were talking about! The crazy strong trainers."

"Aw man, for real? Let's get out of here then!"

With that, the two ran for the hills as Ash and Ilima bent over to help the two strangers to their feet.

"You two alright?"

"We're fine, thank you."

"My name is Ash, and he's Ilima. Who are you?"

"I'm Rose, and he's my brother Alex. We work for the Aether Foundation."

"The Aether Foundation?"

Ilima stroked his chin in thought before it hit him.

"I remember now! The Aether Foundation is an organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of Pokémon. Their based off a manmade island not too far from here, actually."

Alex nodded his head.

"Yes, that's correct. We were sent because we caught wind of Team Skull action in the area. We were surveying the tunnel when we got ambushed. We tried our best, but they pummeled us. We're not very good battlers, so it's a good thing you two came along. Thank you so much."

"Hey, its no problem."

Rose looked at her watch.

"Oh, we need to get back to base. Look, we need to go, but I promise we'll pay you back. Bye!"

Ash and Ilima waved to them as they left.

"Are you guys alright?"

Ash and Ilima turned to see Lillie making her way towards them.

"Sorry, Nebby got out of his bag again, and Snowy got upset, and by the time I had them both under control you guys had already left. I heard a scream, so I ran as fast as I could."

"Yeah, we're fine. Team Skull was just causing trouble. But don't worry, we've got it all under control."

"Well, if that is all taken care of, let's get out of here. This cave is giving me the creeps."

"Agreed."

With that, the trio headed off to find the exit.

After another 10 minutes, they exited the cave and made for Konikori City. It didn't take them long to find Olivia's shop.

"You ready buddy?"

"Pika!"

"Alright, lets make this crystal #6!"

Ash flung open the door, expecting to find Olivia ready for battle…

Only to find an empty shop, its only occupant being a Probopass by the stairs.

"Huh? Where's Olivia?"

Hearing Ash's question, Probopass floated over to him and handed him a note. Ash took it and read it to himself.

_Dear Island Trial Challenger,_

_I'm sorry I could not be here to greet you, but something has come up that requires the attention of the Kahuna. If you wish to battle me right away, make your way to the Ruins of Life past Memorial Hill._

_Sincerely,_

_Olivia, Kahuna of Akala Island._

"Ash, what's going on? Where's Olivia?"

Ash turned to see Ilima and Lillie filtering into the empty shop, looking around in confusion.

"She had to go take care of something. We need to meet her at the Ruins of Life."

"Alright, lets get going. I know the way."

But Lillie wasn't so sure.

"B-but that's past Memorial Hill. I heard that place is haunted."

Ash put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, offering her a small smile.

"Don't worry Lillie, Ilima and I will protect you."

Feeling safer, Lillie relaxed and the trio set off for the Ruins.


	24. The Haunting of Memorial Hill

Chapter 24: The Haunting of Memorial Hill

Memorial Hill, a chilling lonely graveyard on Akala Island where Pokémon and humans alike are laid to rest. A thick fog lay over the field as Ash and his friends walked. The atmosphere was getting to Lillie, who cradled Snowy close to her in fear. Although Ash and Ilima tried to keep a straight face, they couldn't help but feel unnerved as well.

"How much longer, Ash? I don't like this."

"Just a little longer. The entrance to the Ruins of Life is just up ahead, right Rotom?"

"Zzzt, I think so, but all of this fog is messing up my GPS systems. But don't worry, this place can't go on forever, right? Heh heh…"

Somehow this did nothing to soothe Lillie's nerves. Seeing how much she was shaking; Ash gave her a hug.

"Don't worry, Lillie. I've been in plenty of situations like this before and have always found my way out before. Just stick with us and everything will be alright."

Blushing, Lillie felt much more relaxed and the trio got back underway. But as they walked farther, the fog grew thicker to the point where they could no longer see each other.

"Ash, we need to stop! I can't even see my hands in front of my face!"

"Just a little longer, I think I can see the entrance up ahead!"

Despite Ilima's protests, Ash kept pushing forward. After a few minutes, Ash stepped out of the fog and into the cave entrance, a triumphant smile on his face.

"Alright, I told you guys we'd make it!"

No reply was heard. This made Ash worry.

"Ilima? Lillie? Hello?"

When he still didn't receive an answer, Ash turned, hoping to find his companions…

Only to find nothing but white as far as the eye could see.

"Oh no! They must've stopped to wait for the fog to clear! Oh man, I should've listened. Come on buddy, we need to go find them!"

"Pika Pika!"

But before Ash and Pikachu could start their search, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the mist, followed by a pair of arms that snatched Ash up in the air, a Haunted floating above him laughing.

"Hey, put me down!"

The Haunter didn't and continued to carry Ash off with him to an unknown location.

Ilima straightened himself up, catching his breath as the fog grew thicker.

"I told Ash we need to stop. I'd better wait until it clears up, otherwise I'll just wind up where I started."

But no sooner than he said that, a low whistling sound reached his ears.

"Hmm?"

Before Ilima could investigate, he found himself floating in midair, a Mismagius drifting into view with a smirk on his face.

"Mag Mismag!"

"Oh, you think you're funny, don't you? Put me down!"

Mismagius didn't and continued to carry him off into the fog.

Lillie looked every which way, scared out of her wits as she sat all alone, clutching Snowy closer to keep her safe as the little vulpix cried in fear.

"Shh, its okay Snowy, we'll find them. We just need to wait for the fog to let up some so we can see where we're going."

But even as she said that, Lillie couldn't help but feel just as worried. Suddenly, she felt a tugging at her skirt. She looked down to see a Marowhack trying to get her attention, pointing in the other direction.

"Hmm? Will you help me find my friends?"

The Marowhack nodded, walking in the pointed direction.

"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt. Thank you so much!"

And so Lillie followed him, having no idea where they were going but recognizing that she had no better alternatives.

The Haunter dropped Ash off in a small clearing, Ash groaning as he picked himself off the floor.

"Alright, what's the big idea! Where are my friends!"

"Put me down! You're lucky I can't reach my Pokeballs right now, or you would be in so much trouble!"

Ash turned to find Mismagius dumping Ilima on the ground not 10 feet away, Lillie appearing from the fog being led by Marowhack.

"Ilima, Lillie, are you two alright?"

"I'm just fine, but a CERTAIN Mismagius could work on its manners, not to mention its landings!"

"I'm just fine. This nice Marowhack helped me find my way."

"But what's going on? Why did those two capture us?"

"I believe I can explain that."

Everyone gasped in shock to see Olivia emerge from the mist.

"You see, the ghost Pokémon were having a little festival, and they don't like outsiders intruding. So, they set up this fog to ward them off. I was at the Ruins praying to Tapu Lele for a bountiful harvest this year when I was trapped here. Once I explained to them they were doing more harm than good, they allowed me to join in. Once a Palossand scout realized you had become separated looking for me, they decided to help you out."

"Wow, thank you!"

"Now they would be most happy if you would all join us for the celebration.

Ash, Ilima, and Lillie glanced at each other, the same thing on all of their minds.

"You bet!"

"Great! Then without further ado, let the celebration begin!"

With a loud cheer, everyone went back to partying. Ash and his friends had a great time, their Pokémon getting along swimmingly with the friendly ghosts.

While the Pokémon danced around the fire, Ash couldn't help but stare at an amazing wooden sculpture. It was of some sort of Pokémon shaped like a massive bat; its large wings spread out impressively.

"Captivated by the statue, huh Ash?"

Ash turned to see Olivia walk up to him.

"Yeah, its amazing. But what Pokémon is it?"

"This is Lunala, the Pokémon who moves the Moon itself and controls the tides. Being part Ghost, many Ghost types in Alola hold it with the same revere as our Guardian Deities and build statues just like this all over Alola. No one has seen it for years, but they say to see a Legendary Pokémon means you are destined for great things."

"Woah, that is so cool!"

"By the way Ash, did you come here for your Grand Trial?"

"Yeah, but it seems like you were pretty busy today."

"Well, I'll be happy to give you a proper battle tomorrow, but for right now lets just enjoy the party."

"I'm way ahead of you on that!"

The next morning, Ash, Ilima, and Lillie made their way to the Ruins of Life for his next Grand Trial. Olivia was waiting there for them and waved them over.

"Over here, guys! You ready, Ash?"

"You bet! But don't think it'll be an easy win for you."

"Same goes for you."

Lillie walked over to a safe spot to watch while Ilima refereed.

"This will be a 2-on-2 double battle. When both Pokemon on either side have been deemed unable to battle, a victor will be decided. The challenger Ash shall make the first move. Are both trainers ready?"

"I sure am!"

"Same goes for me!"

"Then let this Grand Trial Begin!"

To Be Continued…


	25. Rock of Ages

Chapter 25: Rock of Ages

Ash smiled confidently, two Pokeballs in hand.

"Alright, lets do this. Go, Croconaw and Bagon!"

Ash's Pokémon emerged, snapping their jaws at Olivia in an effort to intimidate her.

"An interesting choice, but it'll take more than a type advantage to beat a Kahuna. Go, Lycanroc and Probopass!"

A Midday form Lycanroc burst out with a howl, a Probopass slamming onto the ground after it.

"Begin!"

"Croconaw, use Water Gun and keep it up! Bagon, use Dragon Claw!"

"Psychic, Probopass. Lycanroc, use Stealth Rock."

Small stones shout out of Lycanroc's fur, growing into large pillars once they hit Ash's field. While Croconaw managed to land a hit on Lycanrock with his Water Gun, Bagon couldn't even get halfway before he was telekinetically picked up and thrown back, repeatedly smashed against the rocks like a pinball before being thrown into Croconaw, throwing them both off course and forcing Croconaw to let up its attack.

"Croconaw, Bagon, get up!"

Although the two weren't badly, they glared at each other before assuming their battle positions once more.

"Alright, lets try this one more time. Croconaw, Hydro Pump! Bagon, Dragon Breath!"

"Lycanroc, use Rock Blast. Probopass, use..."

But Olivia couldn't finish her command, and the two attacks slammed right into Probopass, knocking it out to Olivia's surprise.

"Probopass is unable to battle. The battle is now 2-to-1, in favor of Ash!"

"Nice try Olivia, but we're not going to fall for the same trick twice, are we guys?"

"Naw Croconaw!"

"Gon Bagon!"

The two Pokémon nodded, first to Ash and then to each other. Although surprise, Olivia couldn't help but feel impressed.

"Impressive, but even on his own my Lycanroc is more than a match for both of them. Lycanroc, use Rock Throw!"

With a mighty howl, Lycanroc let loose a barrage of large stones, pelting Ash's Pokémon before they could even react and smashing them against the rocks. The two recovered, but not without signs of damage and fatigue.

"Don't give up, guys! Aqua Jet, Croconaw! Bagon, use Zen Headbutt!"

"Keep up the Rock Blast, Lycanroc!"

While Ash's Pokémon charged in headfirst, Lycanroc kept up the barrage of rocks. Although he managed to power through some of them, eventually the barrage grew to much and Croconaw was thrown back. Bagon was undeterred and kept going, smashing right into his opponents forehead. Meanwhile, Croconaw struggled to his feet, tired but not out.

"Rock Blast, one more time!"

"Don't let him fire, Bagon! Use Dragon Claw!"

Before even a single pebble could be fired, Lycanroc found himself under a barrage of swipes of Dragon Claws, forcing his attention on defense.

"Alright Bagon, let up now!"

Nodding, Bagon leapt up, allowing the Lycanroc to recover. It prepared to fire another Rock Blast...

Only to be hit smack dab with an Aqua Jet, sending it flying into the cave wall. When the dust had settled, it was down and out.

"Lycanroc is unable to battle. The winners are Bagon and Croconaw, meaning the victor of this Grand Trial is Ash from Pallet Town!"

"Alright, way to go guys!"

Croconaw and Bagon shared a high five before being returned to their Pokeballs. Olivia smiled as she returned Lycanroc to his Pokeball.

"Its alright, Lycanroc. Take a nice long rest, you deserve it."

She then made her way over to Ash.

"Ash, you won today by adapting to my moves and countering them. This Rockinium Z Crystal is yours."

Ash smiled broadly as Olivia handed him a brown Z Crystal before he did his victory pose.

"Alright, I just got Rockinium Z!"

"Pika Pika!"

Ilima walked up to Ash.

"Congratulations Ash, now your halfway through you Challenge."

"Yep, and I'm not going to stop until I conquer it. Look out Ula'ula Island, cause I'm coming for ya!"

"Ash, don't forget those Aether Foundation Employees wanted us to meet them at Hano Grand Resort to thank us for helping them."

At the mention of the Aether Foundation, Lillie grew pale.

"A-Aether?"

"Yeah. Why, is something wrong?"

"Oh no, its nothing, just..."

To Lillie's relief, her phone began to ring, and she instantly picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Lillie, its kukui. Listen, Burnett's not feeling to well. She's been throwing up a lot and has been having some weird cravings. Could you come help? I'm going to take her to a doctor, but I could use some help."

"I'll be right there, professor."

"Professor, do you need our help to?"

"No thanks, Ash. Burnie's having mood swings, and I don't want you or Ilima getting hurt in the crossfire. This won't take long, I promise."

"Alright Professor, I'll catch the first ferry over there and pick up some medicine on the way."

"Thanks Lillie, bye."

After hanging up, Lillie started to pack her things.

"Sorry guys, but the professor needs me. Don't wait up for me."

"That's alright, Lillie. Say hi to the professor for us."

"I will. Bye."

After Lillie headed for the dock, Ash and Ilima made their way to the Hano Grand Resort in Heahea City.

It didn't take them too long to find the resort once they reached the city. Once inside they went up to the front desk. The concierge looked up as they approached.

"Good afternoon. Here to check in?"

"Actually, we were told to meet someone here. Has anyone from the Aether Foundation come by?"

"Ah, you must be the ones Rose and Alex spoke of."

Ash and Ilima turned to find a strange man in a white lab coat strutting towards them. His eyes were barely visible under is green goggles, and his blonde hair was slicked back.

"Greetings, Ash and Ilima. I am Faba, Branch Chief of the Aether Foundation Alola branch, second to only the president herself. My underlings spoke of how you rescued them from those horrid Team Skull hooligans."

Faba shook his head in disgust.

"Those hoodlums, always causing trouble. Its so nice to see young people who care so much about their Pokémon. As a show of our appreciation, I would like to invite you to our headquarters as my personal guests."

He handed the two of them brochures for the Aether Foundation. The two were awed by the beautiful pictures of Pokémon being cared for, relaxing in hot springs, or just playing around.

"Wow, this place looks amazing!"

"I agree Ash, this place is unlike any other preservation society I have ever seen."

"So, what do you say? Would you like to visit?"

"You bet!"

Ilima simply nodded in agreement.

"Splendid! We can leave in a few minutes. The company boat is docked in the marina, so once you're all set we can head for the Island."

Unbeknownst to them, Team Rocket was silently listening to their conversation from a bench nearby.

"You hear that? They's got a mega conservation society on some manmade island. Ya know what that means?"

"We sure do. It means there's over a hundred Pokémon ripe and ready for the poaching."

"And if their all so weak that Team Skull can beat them, taking their Pokémon will be a piece of cake!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Shhh! Now's not the time!"

Fortunately for them, no one seemed to pay the outburst any mind, allowing them to quietly sneak off to their submarine.


	26. An Alolan Paradise

Chapter 26: An Alolan Paradise

Before long, they were on the open Alolan sea and headed for Aether Paradise. Ash, Ilima, and Faba were in the lounger area, Faba showing them some more pictures.

"You see, using highly advanced technology, we work to provide each and every Pokemon under our care to live in its ideal environment, ensuring optimal cooperation and comfort for all. And with our adoption system, all abandoned Pokemon can find a new loving home. Some of our employees have even taken it upon themselves to adopt some of our rescues."

"Wow, that is so cool!"

"Indeed. I look forward to learning more about your efforts."

Just then, the intercom started up.

"Attention passengers, we are now approaching Aether Paradise."

Hearing this, Ash and ilima rushed to the deck to catch a view. Their eyes went wide as they stared in awe at the massive marvel of human innovation. Even though it was manmade, it looked as if it had always been there.

"Wow, its better than I could even imagine!"

The ship sailed into the port, docking at a small key. Ash nearly leapt onto the docks, unable to contain his excitement. Faba chuckled at his excitement.

"Come on, let me take you to the observation deck."

The three took a nearby lift to the 2nd floor. Ash could hard hardly believe his eyes at the massive sight before him. As far as the eye could see, Pokemon played and lounged comfortly, being cared for by an army of employees who groomed, fed, and played with them. A young-looking blonde woman stood in the middle ring, directing some scientists as Ash walked up. Sensing someone was behind her, she turned around with a broad smile.

"Ah, Faba told me he'd be bringing some special guests. Greetings, I am the President of the Aether Foundation Lusamine. Thank you so much for saving my employees back there."

"Ah, it was nothing. I couldn't just let Team Skull pick on them."

"Indeed. We only did what any good person would do."

Lusamine gave the two a private tour of the building, giving them history and other interesting facts along the way. Ash and Ilima soaked it all up, unable to get enough information.

"Wow Lusamine, that's amazing! You manage all of this by yourself?"

All of a sudden Lusamine paused, her bright smiled fading into a sad frown.

"Sadly, yes. My husband used to help but he…is no longer with us. We didn't have any children."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Lusamine gave Ash a small smile.

"No, its okay. Its been hard, but I've managed to move on. In fact, I like to think the best thing I can do to honor his memory is to continue our work. And I'm never lonely. Every Pokémon I bring in, I treat like my own."

"That's a great way of thinking. And I know that if he could see you today, he'd be proud."

Lusamine wiped a tear from her eye.

"Thank you, Ash. You truly have a kind heart."

Just then, the lights began to flicker, before going out completely, sending the building into a panic.

"What's going on?"

"Faba, get the back up generators working at once!"

"Yes Madam President!"

But before Faba could move, a crack appeared from thin air in the center of the room, so wide it took up the whole observation area. From it emerged the ugliest looking creature Ash had ever seen. It had multiple arms, two emerging from its hideous mouth that covered its whole body. It let out a hideous, blood curdling roar, causing everyone to duck and cover.

"What is that thing? Is it a Pokémon?"

"Rotom?"

"Uh Uh, don't look at me! That thing would eat me before I could even get close!"

"Well, whatever it is, we can't let it cause trouble. Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika Pika!"

"Alright, use Thunderbolt!"

"PikaCHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

The bolt of lightning hit the behemoth head on, causing it to grunt in pain. But the attack had little effect on him, only serving to make him angry. Before anyone could say anything , it used one of its arms to grab Pikachu, lifting him clear off of Ash's shoulder before disappearing into the wormhole from which it came.

"Hold on Pikachu, I'm coming for you buddy!"

And before anyone could stop him, Ash leapt over the railing, diving right into the rift as it began to close.

"Ash wait!"

But it was too late. Ash was gone.

Ash emerged in some sort of desert, spotting the monstrosity marching to its lair with Pikachu in its grasp.

"Hey, let him go!"

The behemoth turned, whipping one of its arms at Ash and throwing him back, slamming him against a wall with so much force it crumbled. Ash could only struggle to remain conscious as the monster marched towards him, ready to go in for the kill.

"Zeraora, Thunder Punch its pressure points!

Before it could do anymore harm, a yellow blur assaulted it, jabbing and punching it until it was forced to release Pikachu, who was caught by another. Grunting, the monster limped off.

"Wh-"

Another man stepped up to Ash, blocking the blinding sun.

"Congratulations, you are being rescued."

Confused, shocked, and in massive pain, Ash blacked out.


	27. Viva La Resistance

Chapter 27: Viva La Resistance

When Ash came to, the first thing he noticed was that he had been moved. Instead of sandy ground, he had been laid out on a small cot in an unfamiliar building. His Pikachu was sitting nearby, running up to him and hugging him when he saw that his friend was alright. Despite the pain, Ash couldn't help but smile.

"Pika Pikachu!"

"Hey buddy, good to see you're alright. But where are we?"

"Oh good, you're awake."

Ash turned to see his rescuer from before standing in the doorway, a small tray of food in his hands.

"I brought you some food. Sorry its not much, but we need to make our supplies last."

"Its alright. Thanks for the save earlier. My name is Ash, by the way."

"I'm Dia. Tell me Ash; how did you wind up out there? No one could possibly survive out in the Badlands for this long."

"Well, it's actually a pretty weird story. You wouldn't believe me."

"Trust me, there are very few things I won't believe."

So, Ash told Dia his whole story, from the appearance of the strange monster to diving into the wormhole to being rescued by Dia. Día nodded his head, listening intently to every word Ash said.

"And that's how I wound up here. But what was that thing? Its not like any Pokémon I've ever seen, and I've been to every region there is."

"Guzzlord."

Ash watched as Dia's face turned into a scowl, his eyes tearing up in anger.

"It was five years ago, but I remember it as if it were yesterday. Alola was once a beautiful region, where people and nature were at peace. But that all changed when Guzzlord appeared from nowhere, destroying everything in sight. Most fled, but some were not as fortunate before the whole island became sealed off to the world, leaving those within at the monster's mercy."

"I'm so sorry. If it helps, the Alola where I came from is alive and well."

Dia gave a sad smile, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Thank you, Ash. It does bring me some joy to know that there exist worlds that haven't been subjected to the horrors we have."

He then stood up, walking to the door before turning to Ash.

"If you can stand, our leader would like to have a word with you. I'm sure your story will be of great interest to him."

Nodding, Ash followed Dia out the door and into the main complex.

If there had been any doubt in Ash's mind about Dia's story, it was dashed the moment he saw the extent of Guzzlord's reign of terror. The building they were in was completely wrecked, with crumbling structures and a roof with more holes than the moon. What lights remained intact flickered constantly, some giving up and exploding. All of its occupants were badly scarred, dirty and scared. The worse were laid out on cots, to weak to move as others helped them eat or otherwise tended to them. Dia saw Ash's face and nodded sympathetically.

"In time, one becomes used to it. It doesn't make it any less horrific, but this is my life day in and day out. At one point, this was Alola's largest shopping mall, but now it's nothing more than another casualty of war."

After another minute of walking, they came to an older man. His blonde hair was dirty and shaggy, a tattered labcoat adorning him. He was helping dress a wound on a child as Ash and Dia approached.

"There you go, little one. But do remember to be careful. Even in our hideout there are hazards."

"I will. Thanks, Mohn!"

"Master Mohn, our newest occupant is awake."

The man now known as Mohn turned to the two.

"Well hello there…"

"Ash, and my friend here is Pikachu. It's a pleasure to meet you, mr…"

Mohn laughed, placing a hand on Ash's shoulder.

"Oh, no need for that Ash. Mr. makes me feel old, as if I need any reminders. Please, just call me Mohn. So tell me Ash, how did you wind up in the badlands?"

Ash told Mohn the whole story, Mohn listening intently. Once Ash was finished, Mohn spoke.

"I see. Well Ash, it may come as a surprise to you, but I actually came here that way too."

"Really?"

"Yes. You see, I was working in my lab, studying this odd form of energy I had discovered. I thought I was on the verge of a breakthrough that would revolutionize how we power our world. Suddenly, the energy expanded into a wormhole, sucking me in and dropping me off right in the middle of the badlands. I thought I was a goner, but Día and the rest of the resistance saved me and brought me back here, healing me back to full health. At first, my only thought was finding a way home, but when I saw what Guzzlord had done to this place, I knew I couldn't think only of myself while they suffered. So, I put my knowledge to good use, even managing to bring back some form of power to this place. After that, they universally decided that I should lead them, and I've been here ever since."

"Wow, that's amazing! What's your backstory, Dia?"

Dia stood up from the wall he had been leaning on, his face falling.

"I was part of the Ultra Rangers, an elite squad of Pokémon trainers dedicated to taking on missions to great for regular Police and keeping Alola safe. My squad was the first to respond when Guzzlord attacked. We fought with all our might but…We failed. And I was the only survivor."

Ash gasped in shock as Día continued.

"When I woke up, I was back at the Melemele headquarters, injured greatly but alive. When the order was made to retreat, I refused. I gave an oath to protect the people of Alola, and I intended to keep it. That was when the government left, blocking off Melemele Island in order to contain the monster."

Dia's fists became barred, his teeth clenched in anger.

"How could they?! Their own people left to die at the hands of a monster we don't even understand! They were elected to protect us, but instead they ran! Well, I wasn't ready to give up. I gathered the best able bodied survivors I could find and formed a resistance group, waging a war against Guzzlord in the small hope of bringing peace to our world. It was on one of these missions that I met my partner."

Dia released a yellow bipedal Pokemon from a Pokeball.

"I was out looking for food when I saw him fighting Guzzlord. I couldn't believe my eyes, a real life Zeraora! They are so rare that most people believe them to be mere myths, but here was one right before my eyes. When I saw Guzzlord defeat him, I knew I had to act, causing a diversion before bringing him back to base. When he awoke, he attacked me, but when we realized we had a common enemy, he decided to join my team. One day, I know we'll be ready to end this monster once and for all, but until then we train. Waiting, hoping…"

Ash thought he might cry after hearing the story. Although he had seen lots of destruction in his travels, nothing could compare to their story.

"Well, whatever I can do to help, count us in! Right, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu!"

"Are you sure, Ash? I must warn you, Guzzlord is not something to be underestimated. Fighting him is not a commitment to be made lightly."

"This may not be my home, but I can't let these people suffer. Count me in."

Mohn smiled, walking up to him.

"Well then, welcome aboard Ash."


	28. The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend?

Chapter 28: The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend?

For the next week, Ash helped the resistance in any way he could, be it applying first aid to patrolling the base to just training in general. In that time, he and Día had become good friends, bonding over a love of Pokémon and a desire to help others.

One morning, Ash and Dia were training Pikachu and Zeraora when Mohn came running up to them.

"Ash, Día, come quick!"

Surprised, the two stopped their sparring battle and ran to Mohn's office. His tiny cracked computer showed a picture of a very familiar Pokémon. The picture was blurred, but there was no doubt in any of their minds that they were looking at Tapu Koko.

"Tapu Koko? I thought the guardian had been vanquished in battle with Guzzlord."

"Yes, as had I Día, but it seems we were wrong. A patrol guard managed to take this photo before it vanished. He said it appeared to be headed for The Ruins of Conflict. In any case, he may be our only hope to defeat Guzzlord."

"But Mohn, that is too far outside of the safe zone, we have no idea what lies out there. Are you sure it's worth the risk?"

"Honestly Dia, I don't know. There are still too many unknown variables. Are there any other survivors? If so, what have they become? Would Tapu Koko even bother to help us? And even if, by some means, we succeed, is it even possible to undo the damage wrought by Guzzlord?"

Ash and Dia fell silent, having no answers to these questions themselves as Mohn continued.

"But if there's even the slimmest chance of salvation, should we not take it? If not for ourselves, then for the next generation? I will do anything to assure these little kids have a future to look forward to, and if that means I have to risky my life on a rumor, then so be it."

Moved by Mohn's speech, Ash and Día nodded.

"Well in that case, you'll need some help. Count me in."

"Us too, right Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

"Right, then get ready. We'll leave in an hour."

After an hour of walking, the trio had made their way to what remained of Iki Town. Ash had to hold back his tears at the destruction. Día noticed this and put a comforting hand on Ash's shoulder.

"Its alright, let it out. It's only natural. If it makes you feel any better, most of them made it out and are safe back at the base."

"What about Kahuna Hala and his family?"

Dia's silence told Ash everything he needed to know.

They had just left the town and were making their way to the bridge when a piercing scream filled the air.

"Someone's in trouble!"

"Come on, this way!"

The trio ran to find…

Team Rocket, cowering in fear as a flock of Mandibuzz circled overhead, occasionally swooping down to peck at them. Although he didn't like them, Ash couldn't bring himself to leave them to suffer.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt now!"

"Zeraora, Plasma Fists!"

"Go, Zoroark! Use Night Slash!"

After being hit by the powerful attacks, The Manibuzz decided to flee and fight another day. The Trio gasped for breath, only to look up and realize just who their rescuers were.

"You!"

"You're welcome."

"You know these three, Ash?"

"Unfortunately, yes. They're part of Team Rocket, a criminal organization dedicated to stealing Pokémon and taking over the world. What are you three doing here?"

The trio became nervous, trying to think of an excuse.

"Um, well, we were just minding our own business when- "

"You were trying to steal Pokémon at the Aether Foundation and got sucked in, weren't you?"

"You know us to well, twerp."

Ash sighed, really not having the time for this.

"Alright, look. If we want to get back to our own universe, our best chance is to work together."

Team Rocket did a double take, not believing what they were hearing.

"What? Team up with you?"

"Not in a million years, twerp!"

Ash sighed, realizing how difficult this would be.

"Alright, look. I don't like it any more than you do, but you have no idea what Guzzlord is capable of. You really would rather spend the rest of your lives out here being pecked on by Mandibuzz and Spearows than cooperate with me?"

Realizing Ash had a point, the trio sighed in defeat.

"Alright, but funny business."

Ash and the two humans shook hands, glaring at each other all the way. Even Meowth and Pikachu shook paw to tail, Pikachu reluctantly reigning in the desire to electrocute his nemesis.

"Alright, lets go. We need to get there and back before sundown."

"Right!"

After another hour of walking, they saw the entrance to the ruins up ahead.

"Alright, lets go find the Tapu."

But before anyone could take another step, Guzzlord slammed right down before them, blocking the entrance with a massive roar. Everyone's faces turned serious.

"Alright guys, this may be our only chance to end this. We stand the best chance if we work together."

"Right!"

"Pikachu, let's go!"

"Zeraora, I choose you!"

"Zoroark, stand ready for battle."

"Mareannie, attack…Not me, that thing!"

"Go, Se…"

Before Jessie could do anything, Mimikyu emerged from his Pokeball and attacked Pikachu with a Shadow Claw to Ash's anger.

"Jessie, what gives? We need to work together!"

"Its not my fault! That stupid thing released itself! Mimikyu, attack that thing, we'll steal Pikachu later!"

With a frustrated growl, Mimikyu relented, turning to face Guzzlord before attacking him with everyone else.

The battle did not go well for them. Even though they had a numerical advantage, Guzzlord was too bulky for any one of them to do significant damage before being thrown back like ragdolls. Zeraora was the only one who seemed to be having an impact, its Plasma Fists causing it to howl in pain, but even he was pushed back. After only five minutes, their Pokemon were battered, bruised, and exhausted. Guzzlord moved to deal the finishing blow, its cries sounding like a demonic laugh…

Only to be rammed by a ball of lightning, forcing him back in pain. Before everyone's eyes, Tapu Koko unfolded his wings, its face ready for battle.

"No way, its Tapu Koko!"

"He never abandoned us. He was here all along."

Dia smiled.

"Deep down, I always knew."

Tapu Koko turned to the gathered humans, nodding its head to let them know he was on their side.

"Alright, let's do this!"

Reinvigorated by the Tapu's presence, the Pokémon once more launched themselves at Guzzlord, ready to end this once and for all.


	29. End of a Battle

Chapter 29: End of a Battle

With Tapu Koko's presence, the battle was turning in their favor. Although Guzzlord could shake off attacks from Pikachu and Zoroark, Tapu Koko was too fast and kept hitting him, allowing Zeraora to get in close enough to deal him a barrage of Thunder Punches and Plasma Fists.

"Great work guys, keep it up!"

"Pika!"

Mimikyu snarled to itself, but kept focused on the task at hand. Guzzlord, with a bellowing roar, swung one of its arms at Mimikyu, who jumped out of the way…

Only for Jessie to be hit instead, sending her flying off the cliff.

"Jessie!"

"I'm alright, but I don't think I can hold onto this branch for much longer!"

"Don't worry Jessie, we're coming!"

But before either James or Meowth could do anything…

"Trumbeak, go save Jessie!"

"Trumbeak!"

Just as Jessie lost her grip, Trumbeak managed to swoop down and catch her, bringing her back to higher ground, shaken but safe.

"You…you saved me?"

"Now's not the time!"

Nodding, Jessie turned towards her Mimikyu.

"Alright Mimikyu, Shadow Claw!"

"Iron Tail, Pikachu!"

Leaping up, the two combined their attacks, striking Guzzlord right in its face and causing it to stumble back. But despite the damage it had taken, Guzzlord refused to concede defeat, shaking the ground and forcing his opponents to their feet.

"Alright guys, time to bring out the big guns."

"Right!"

With their Z Rings repowered by Tapu Koko, Ash, Mohn, Dia, and Jessie all launched their Z Moves at the monstrosity. Pikachu was the first to hit, Breakneck Blitz hitting Guzzlord right in the gut. Zoroark followed closely behind, Its Black Hole Eclipse battering Guzzlord to no end. Zeraora slammed him with a Gigavolt Havoc, followed by Mimikyu's Never Ending nightmare. It was clear that the battle was finally beginning to take its toll on Guzzlord, its humongous body struggling to keep upright.

"Alright Mareannie, use Venoshock!"

Mareannie shot out copious amounts of poison at Guzzlord, drenching him completely. The weary beast lifted its head, charging a Hyper Beam…

Only for Tapu Koko to hit him with Nature's Madness, finally toppling the monster and ending the battle as Guzzlord exploded in a mass of dark energy, forcing everyone back. When they all looked up, all that remained was a large scorch mark where Guzzlord once stood.

"Is it…"

"He's gone. It's finally over."

Before heading back, they all said goodbye to Tapu Koko.

"Thank you for all your help, Tapu Koko. With your help we finally managed to end this nightmare once and for all."

Tapu koko nodded, before turning to Dia, extending its wing towards him. Seemingly knowing what the Tapu was saying, Dia was shocked.

"You…you want me to be the next Kahuna?"

Tapu Koko nodded.

"B-but surely Mohn would be a better fit?"

Mohn shook his head, smiling at Dia warmly.

"No Dia, but you are. You kept us all going, doing everything possible to keep up our spirits. Besides, one day I'll have to go back to my home world, and who will guide Melemele then? Trust me Dia, there couldn't possibly be a better person to lead."

Encouraged by Mohn's words, DIa shook Tapu Koko's wing.

"I promise to not let you down."

Nodding, Tapu Koko then turned to Ash and the Team Rocket Trio, stepping back to create a wormhole to their shock.

"We can go home!"

"Last one through is a rotten egg!"

James and Meowth ran through excitedly, while Jessie stayed behind to talk to Ash.

"Hey twerp, thanks for saving my life. I guess I owe you one."

"Don't worry about it. Team Rocket or not, no one deserves that."

"Well don't expect us to go easy on you next time we meet. As far as I'm concerned, your Z Crystals are still up for grabs, so you better be on your guard."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

With that, Jessie went after her teammates, making sure no one could see the small smile on her face. Ash then turned to Mohn.

"Ready to go home, Mohn? I bet you have a lot of work to catch up on."

To Ash's surprise, Mohn shook his head.

"I'm sorry Ash, but I can't leave just yet. There's still a lot of rebuilding that needs to be done, and Dia will need help running things for a while. As much as I wish I could return to my family, I can't leave them here like this."

Ash nodded, and shook Mohn's hand goodbye before turning to Dia.

"Good luck, Dia. I know you'll be a great Kahuna."

"Thank you, Ash. For everything."

Ash entered the wormhole, waving goodbye to the two before the world faded from view.

Ash opened his eyes only to be blinded by a bright light. When the world came into view once more, he found himself at Aether Paradise, everyone staring at him.

"Ash, what happened? Are you alright?"

"What went on in there?"

Ash considered telling them all the story, but eventually decided against it, considering it too outrageous for any of them to believe.

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

Realizing that Ash wasn't going to be sharing his story any time soon, everyone decided to leave the matter be, although Lusamine insisted that he stay overnight so that a doctor could make sure he wasn't suffering any ill effects.

The next morning, after the doctor gave his consent for Ash to leave and they had breakfast with the president, Ash and Ilima were at the docks ready to head for Ula'ula Island, Lusamine and Faba there to see them off.

"I can't thank you enough for all that you've done. Both of you are welcome back any time."

"Thank you, Lusamine. Keep up the good work."

"Man, next time we should bring Lillie! She would love this place."

Ash could've sworn Lusamine's face twitched at Lillie's name, but let the matter slide. After everything was ready, their boat set off, Faba and Lusamine waving until the boat was out of sight.

Later that evening, Lusamine sat in her private quarters, mulling over recent events. Only once before had she seen an event like this, and when it had…

Lusamine shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She couldn't let herself think of him, no matter how much she missed him.

"_Oh Mohn, I wish you were here with me. I'm afraid everything we've worked so hard to build is coming apart."_

Lusamine allowed her eyes to wander her office, landing on a faded but comforting picture of her and Mohn, two familiar looking children smiling at their feet.

Faba dashed through the back corridors of the massive island, dodging questions and curious glances as he went. Foolish employees, don't they realize they are not even fit to be in the same room as him.

Sighing in relief, he opened his phone and hit the first contact.

"_This better be good."_

"Oh, it is. UB-05 Glutton has breached the dimensional barriers, although it has been dealt with. No collateral damage."

"_Excellent. Stand by for further details."_

"Understood."


	30. A Day at the Gym

Chapter 30: A Day at the Gym

Ash and Ilima exited the ferry at Malie City, ready for their next big adventure.

"Two islands down, two to go. Ready, Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

"Sounds good to me, buddy."

"I like the enthusiasm, but your trials are only going to get harder from here."

"That's just the way I like it."

While making their way to Malie City proper, Ash spotted a poster on the wall. He didn't think much of it at first but did a double take when he realized what it said.

"The Kantonian Gym? I thought you guys didn't have gyms in Alola."

"Ah yes, I remember hearing about this place. Apparently, the owner was inspired by the gyms he visited in Kanto and decided to create something similar in Alola. While he hasn't managed to get a league started, the gym has become a popular spot for Pokemon trainers of their Island Trial."

"What do you say, Pikachu? Want to give it a try?"

"Pika!"

"Alright, then off we go to the Kantonian Gym!"

The place wasn't very hard to find, being about a 10-minute walk from the terminal. Ash and Ilima entered to find a sparse interior, the only things of note being a small battlefield and a row of bleachers off to the side. They were greeted at the door by a brightly dressed man wielding a guitar, his tongue grossly waggling out of his mouth as he played.

"Yo dudes, welcome to the Kantonian gym! Names Ryuki, and I run this here place. You here to challenge me?"

Ash stepped forward.

"I'll take you on! How about you, Ilima?"

"Oh, no thank you. I'll just watch from the sidelines."

Ryuki howled in laughter.

"Glad to see a trainer with some spunk, but you're going to need more than that to win. Alright, here's how this works: defeat my three disciples and you get the right to challenge me. What do you say, you dig?"

"Oh yeah!"

"Then let the challenge commence!"

After a few minutes of preparation, Ash stood before his first opponent, a boy named Farley.

"Alright, all battles before the Gym Leader are one-on-one battles, and will continue until a Pokémon on either side has been deemed unable to battle. The Gym Trainer shall go first. Ready?"

"I am?"

"A Kantonian Gym Trainer is always ready!"

"Then let the battle commence!"

"Go, Smoochum!"

"Rockruff, I choose you!"

The two Pokemon burst out onto the battlefield, but Ash noticed that his Rockruff seemed different. Its expression, contrary to its typical happy and lovable one, was instead fierce and intimidating as it pawed at the ground, anxious to get started.

"Rockruff vs Smoochum, begin!"

Before Ash could even issue a command, rushing at Smoochum and delivering a fierce Crunch, knocking the poor Pokémon out.

"Smoochum is unable to battle! The winners of this battle are Ash and Rockruff!"

Despite his victory, Ash was unhappy with Rockruff.

"Rockruff, what was that about? You can't just go and do whatever you want!"

Rockruff just huffed, turning his back on his trainer and blowing off his words completely. Ash was having serious Charizard flashbacks.

Farley, meanwhile, was furious with the result.

"Hey boss, that shouldn't count! Rockruff reacted without a command from its trainer, it should be disqualified!"

Ryuki shook his head.

"Anything goes here. Your Pokemon was knocked out, so you lost. Now step aside so that the next trainer can challenge Ash."

Farley sulked off, and another boy named Darley. Ash attempted to return Rockruff, but the puppy refused, shaking off the capture beam like it was nothing. Darley, despite seeing the previous battle, was not deterred.

"You might have beaten Farley, but Cutiefly and I won't be so easy."

To illustrate, Darley unleashed his Cutiefly, the tiny bug Pokemon buzzing around excitedly.

"Rockruff vs Cutiefly, begin!"

"Rockruff, use Rock Blast!"

Rockruff growled, but complied, sending out stones from its fur to strike Cutiefly. Although it managed to avoid most of them, the ones that did hit did considerable damage.

"Shake it off Cutiefly and use Fairy Wind!"

The Pink gust of energy barely affected Rockruff, who responded in turn with a Stone Edge, the stones bursting out of the ground to hit Cutiefly, knocking it out to Darley's dismay.

"Cutiefly is unable to battle! The winners are Ash and Rockruff!"

Once more Ash tried to return Rockruff, only for it to once again brush off the capture beam as the last trainer stepped forward, a girl named Shirataki.

"Its time to show you why I'm the strongest Disciple here. Go, Formantis!"

The grass type emerged, its blade arms slashing the air in an attempt to intimidate Rockruff.

"Rockruff vs Formantis, begin!"

"Rockruff, use…"

Ash never got a chance to finish his sentence, for Rockruff had already charged at Formantis, Tackling it with all his might. Formantis retaliated with a Leaf Blade, although the attack barely seemed to faze Rockruff. When Formantis let its guard down, Rockruff swooped in with a hard Crunch to its arm, causing Formantis to cry out in pain before passing out.

"Formantis is unable to battle! The winners are Ash and Rockruff!"

Ash didn't even attempt to return Rockruff, realizing that it would do him no good. Fired up from watching Ash's battles, Ryuki leaped from his spot, playing a riff on his electric guitar as he landed.

"WOO! I hope you're ready Ash, because my Pokémon are ready to rumble!"

Shirataki took Ryuki's place as referee, pushing her glasses up in annoyance.

"This battle will be a three-on-three battle, no substitutions. Once all Pokémon on either side have been declared unable to battle, the battle will have been decided. Are both trainers ready?"

"I am!"

"I'm always ready!"

"Then let the battle begin!"

Ryuki removed a Pokeball from his guitar strap, smirking as he released the Pokémon inside.

"Go, Turtonator! Show that Pup who's boss!"

The giant fire tortoise emerged, smirking at its opponent and enraging Rockruff even more. Before Ash could stop him, Rockruff dashed at him, intending to use Bite. This gave Ryuki the chance he needed.

"Turtonator, use Shell Trap!"

Turtonator turned, its shell facing Rockruff. As Rockruff jumped up to Bite him, he closed his shell, ensnaring Rockruff and causing it to howl in pain.

"Rockruff, no!"

A large explosion sounded as Rockruff was blasted out, skidding across the floor to Ash's feet out cold.

"Rockruff is unable to battle! The round goes to Ryuki and Turtonator!"

Ash gently picked up Rockruff, who was now calmer and much more like its normal self.

"Hey its alright, buddy. You just take a nice long rest."

Rockruff smiled, giving a weak "ruff" as he was returned to his Pokeball.

"Heh, so much for taking out the whole gym by itself. Your Rockruff is tough, but my Dragon types are stronger."

"Yeah, well we'll see. Go, Croconaw!"

Ash's Croconaw emerged, snapping its jaws crossly at Turtonator, riling him up.

"Turtonator vs Croconaw, begin!"

"Turtonator, use Incinerate!"

"Hydro Pump, Croconaw!"

The two attacks clashed in the middle, the blast of water trying to gain ground over the large blast of fire. Although the two attacks were even for a good minute, the fire began to lose energy, eventually being overtaken by the Hydro Pump allowing Turtonator to be blasted. Although the attack wasn't enough to knock it out, it was clear that it took its toll.

"Finish him off with Aqua Jet, Croconaw!"

Turtonator recovered just in time to be hit straight in the face with an Aqua Jet, not even having time to set up a Shell Trap before falling over unconscious.

"Turtonator is unable to battle. The round goes to Croconaw!"

"Way to go, Croconaw! Return!"

"You did a good job, Turtonator. Take a good long rest."

The two trainers returned their Pokémon, before turning their gaze towards each other as they both took out their next Pokémon.

"Your Croconaw was impressive Ash, but we're far from finished. Go, Drampa!"

"The same goes for us, Ryuki. Go, Bagon!"

The two Dragon Types burst out, glaring at each other fiercely. Ryuki smirked.

"A Dragon type versus a Dragon Type. An interesting choice but be careful. Dragon Types are weak against other Dragons."

"Yeah, well that goes for you two. Just remember that!"

"Bagon vs Drampa, begin!"

"Dragon Breath, Drampa/Bagon!"

The two attacks clashed in the middle, exploding and creating a thick cloud of smoke.

"Zen Headbutt, Bagon, then follow it up with Dragon Claw!"

From the smoke Bagon emerged, headbutting Drampa right in the gut before dealing a Dragon Claw upward, hitting its jaw and causing significant damage.

"Dragon Pulse, Drampa!"

"You two, Bagon!"

The two bursts of energy hit their targets, causing another explosion of smoke. When the smoke cleared, Bagon stood firm, but Drampa had slumped over in defeat.

"Drampa is unable to battle! The round goes to Bagon!"

"Way to go Bagon!"

Before everyone's eyes, Bagon began glowing. When the glow died down, A Shelgon stood in his place.

"Woah, Bagon evolved into Shelgon!"

"Gon Shelgon!"

Ryuki smiled as he took out his last Pokémon, having the time of his life.

"Congratulations, but even with a Shelgon you won't beat me. Go, Garchomp!"

"Garchomp vs Shelgon, begin!"

"Garchomp, use Cross Chop!"

"Flamethrower, Shelgon!"

Despite Shelgon's best efforts, Garchomp ran right through the flames, hitting him twice with his blade arms, causing Shelgon pain but he held his ground.

"Cross Chop again, Garchomp!"

"Use Zen Headbutt, Shelgon!"

Before Garchomp could attack again, Shelgon rammed him right in the gut, causing it to double over in pain.

"Garchomp, get up and finish him with Dragon Breath!"

"Shelgon, use Dragon Pulse!"

The two attacks collided once more, neither side willing to give up as they continued to put more energy into their attacks. Eventually though, Shelgon began to weaken and his attack began to get overpowered.

"Don't give up, Shelgon! You can do it, I believe in you!"

"Pika!"

Encouraged by their words, Shelgon put all he had into his next attack, the Dragon Pulse completely overpowering the Dragon Breath and striking Garchomp head on, knocking him out cold.

"Garchomp is unable to battle. The round goes to Shelgon, and the battle goes to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

"Alright! Way to go, Shelgon!"

"Pika Pi!"

"Gon!"

Despite his loss, Ryuki smiled as he returned Garchomp before walking over to Ash.

"Congratulations, Ash! That's the best battle I've had in a long time. Here, take this memorable Kantonian Badge!"

Ryuki handed the small circular object to Ash. On one side was Ryuki's grinning face, while on the other was the inscription "this badge is not officially endorsed by any Pokemon League."

"Alright, I got a Kantonian Badge!"

"Pika Pi!"

"You've got some serious skills, Ash. You're welcome here any time."

"Thanks, Ryuki. I had a blast as well."

"Oh by the way, I think I know why you're Rockruff is acting like that. See, I read somewhere that when a Rockruff is getting close to evolving, they undergo drastic and often violent mood swings like that. Pretty soon, you'll have a Lycanroc on your hands."

"Really? That's awesome!"

With that, Ash and Ilima made their way out into Malie City, waving to Ryuki and his disciples as they went. Ash was now more ready than ever to take on his next trial, wherever that may be."


	31. Two and a Half Oaks

Chapter 31: Two and a Half Oaks

While he waited for his Pokémon to heal at the Pokémon Center, Ash decided to call Professor Oak to check in on things back home. After a short minute of ringing, Oak picked up the phone, clearly disheveled and annoyed.

"Um Professor, are you…"

"Muk."

Ash didn't need to hear anymore. He knew all to well how affectionate his Muk could be.

"But enough about my troubles. How is your vacation going? Did you deliver the egg to Professor Kukui?"

"I sure did, and guess what? It hatched into an Alolan Vulpix!"

"Did it now? Well what do you know. So, your mother tells me your taking on the Island Trial Challenge. How is that going?"

"Great! I'm halfway through! We just reached Malie City this morning, and I just beat The Kantonian Gym!"

"Oh, did you? Well, congratulations!"

It was then that Professor Oak remembered something.

"Oh, if you're in Malie City you should meet my cousin Samson. He's a Professor too, studying regional forms of Pokémon. He's always willing to talk to visitors about his research."

"Ready? Sweet!"

"He lives on the edge of the city, just a block away from the library. I'll call ahead to let him know you're on your way."

**Ash Ketchum to the service desk, please. Your Pokémon are all healed and ready to go. Repeat, Ash Ketchum to the service Desk, please. Your Pokémon are all healed up.**

"Oh, I've got to go, Professor. Catch you later!"

"Wait Ash, there's something else you-"

But Ash hung up, too excited to listen.

After picking up his Pokémon from Nurse Joy, Ash and Ilima left to go find Samson Oak's house. True to Professor Oak's word, his house was just on the outskirts of town. Ash walked up to the door and rang the doorbell.

"Coming!"

After a minute, the door swung open to reveal the good professor. To Ash's shock, he looked very similar to his cousin. In fact, if it wasn't for the dark skin and head full of white hair, one might think Professor Oak had retired to Alola.

"Alola! What brings you two to my humble abode?"

"Alola, I'm Ash, and this is Ilima."

"Pikachu!"

"Oh, and I can't forget about Pikachu, now can I?"

Samson's grin spread even farther.

"Ah, my cousin just called to tell me you were on the way! Please, come in, come in!"

Samson ushered the two of them in, Ash and Ilima gazing around the house. The two were surprised to find it looked like a typical house, no equipment or Pokémon to be seen.

"Um, Professor, not to be rude but this doesn't look like a laboratory. How do you conduct your research?"

Samson laughed heartedly.

"Well, no use in cluttering up my house with fancy gadgets that I don't need anyway. Come on, let me show you to my study area."

The Professor led them to his backyard, where they saw Alolan forms as far as the eye could see, from ice type Sandshrew and Sandslash to Dark type Meowths and Persians. A small number of assistants were scattered about, from checking the voltage of a Golem to trying to water an Exeggutor. Among them Ash found a familiar face grooming a Persian.

"Hey Gary, is that you?"

Gary looked up to see Ash walking over.

"Well, if it isn't Ashy Boy. Gramps told me you were in Alola, but I didn't expect to see you."

The two of them shook hands as Samson and Ilima walked over to them.

"You two know each other."

"Sure do. Gary and I have known each other since we were kids back in Pallet Town. We even started our journeys on the same day."

"Yeah, and you were always playing catch up to me, weren't you Ashy?"

"Hey, who was it that beat you in the Silver Conference?"

"Who was it that beat you in every other battle?"

"Well at least I made it to the Indigo Stadium, Mr. Top 32!"

"Yeah, only to lose because Charizard would rather take a nap, Mr. Pokémon Master."

Ilima and Samson laughed as the two bickered like they were still little kids.

"Now now, you two, you both have accomplished great things, but leave the arguing like children at the preschool."

Realizing how petty their fight was, the two of them calmed down.

"He's right. Anyway, what brings you to Alola, Gary?"

"Well, I've almost got my certificate, but I need some apprenticeship hours under a certified Professor. Gramps had enough aides as it is, but his cousin was more than willing to let me help out."

"Hey, anything for family, even if they are a cousin twice removed!"

After discussing more about their recent escapades, Ash decided to talk to the Professor about his Rockruff.

"Hey Professor, I was wondering if you could look at one of my Pokémon for me. He's been acting up recently, and I'm not sure how to handle him."

"Certainly, Ash. Let's take a look."

Ash released his Rockruff, who gave an indignant huff. While he wasn't as violent as before, he was still acting out. Samson Oak bent down, gently stroking Rockruff's fur in a way so that it won't attack him.

"Oooh, a Rockruff. You have a very unique kind of Pokemon here, Ash. I wonder what he'll evolve into."

"He evolves into a Lycanroc, doesn't he?"

Samson chuckled lightly.

"Yes, but you see Rockruff is a unique kind of Pokemon. As you are aware, most Pokemon evolve into only one Pokemon, but some have different option available, branch evolutions I like to call them. For example, Gloom can either evolve into a Vileplume or a Bellossom, depending on if you give it a Leaf Stone or a Sun Stone. But there is an even smaller branch of Pokémon that can evolve into different variations of the same Pokémon. They're so rare that you could go your whole life without seeing one."

"Woah, that's so cool! So, what options does Rockruff have?"

Samson ushered them all into the house, where he brought out two pictures. One was of the Lycanroc they saw at Paniola Ranch, Rockruff recognizing it as its mother as his tail wagged excitedly. The other picture was vastly different, the Lycanroc being on all fours and looking more like a larger Rockruff, with lighter fur.

"You see, if your Rockruff evolves during the day, it'll evolve into the one on the right, or Midday form Lycanroc. But if he evolves at night, he'll evolve into a Midnight Form Lycanroc."

"Wow, that's so-Rockruff, no!"

Everyone turned to see Rockruff chewing up the couch they were on. It took both Ash and Ilima to pry him off.

"I'm so sorry, Professor."

"Oh, its alright Ash, I'm quite used to Pokémon making a mess of my house. It's an old couch anyway, I've been meaning to get rid of it for a while. Besides, its natural for Rockruff to act like this when they're close to evolving."

This gave Gary an idea.

"Hey Ash, why don't we see if we can get Rockruff to evolve? Maybe if he evolves, he'll calm down a bit."

"Really, you think so?"

"It's worth a shot. Come on, we can have a battle just like old times."

"Sounds good."

Ash's stomach growled, interrupting their conversation as Ash blushed with embarrassment.

"But can we have dinner first? I'm starving!"

Everyone laughed while Gary just shook his head.

"Good old Ash."

After dinner, the group made their way to a secluded part of the property. Ash and Gary stood 10 feet apart from each other, the sun beginning to set in the background. Samson stood in the middle, acting as the referee.

"Alright, this will be a one on one battle between Ash and Gary. The battle will end when either or both Pokémon are unable to battle. Are both trainers ready?"

"You bet."

"Ready to win."

"Then let the battle begin!"

"Rockruff, I choose you!"

"Umbreon, you're up!"

Samson moved off to the side so that the battle could begin. Gary's Umbreon emerged, shaking its ears to get ready for battle as it eyed his opponent carefully.

"Skull Bash, Umbreon!"

"Tackle, Rockruff!"

The two met in the middle, their skulls banging against each other, although neither one seemed to be fazed by it. They both skidded back, growling at eachother.

"Shadow Ball, Umbreon!"

"Rockruff, dodge then use Rock Slide!"

Rockruff jumped over the Shadow Ball with ease, before shooting out a barrage of stones at its foe, Umbreon not being able to jump away in time before being hit, although he recovered quickly.

"Umbreon shake it off and use Hidden Power!"

Umbreon's eyes glowed before the grass around the two rose up and struck Rockruff relentlessly, damaging him greatly.

"Don't let it get to you, Rockruff! Use Stone Edge!"

Shaking off the attacks, Rockruff slammed his paw into the ground, causing large stones to erupt out and hit Umbreon.

"Finish this off with Dark Pulse, Umbreon!"

"Use Rock Blast!"

The two attacks hit The Rocks breaking harmlessly against the waves of Dark energy. Rockruff refused to give up, and kept firing, Umbreon finally being unable to keep up and began taking hits. By the time the barrage was over, Umbreon had been knocked out.

"Umbreon is unable to battle. The winner is Ash and-huh?"

To everyone's surprise, Rockruff began to glow and evolve.

"Alright, Rockruff is evolving!"

"So, does that mean it'll evolve into Midnight form?"

"No, its not quite night yet."

"But the sun has gone down, so it's no longer daytime."

"So what will it be then?"

To everyone's surprise, the Lycanroc that emerged from the glow was neither. It was on all fours like a Midday form, but its fur was a bright orange, and the top of its head was shaped like that of a Midnight form.

"Roc Lycanroc!"

"Incredible! Your Rockruff has evolved into an all new form of Lycanroc! And since I discovered it, I get to name it! Lets see, how about half form… no, that sounds silly. I know, twilight form form… no, that doesn't quite roll of the tongue. What about…"

"How about Dusk Lycanroc? Dusk is the time of day between Sunset and night time, and that's when he evolved."

"I like it! Dusk form it is. Say, you've got a good eye for naming things, don't ya?"

Having calmed down, Lycanroc whimpered sadly, feeling bad about all of the trouble it caused. Ash bent down, gently stroking his fur.

"Hey, its alright. I know you didn't mean it; you were just getting ready to evolve. And now that you have, you're even more awesome than before."

Lycanroc smiled, letting out a content purr at his master's loving strokes. Gary smiled at the scene before walking over to them.

"Congratulations, Ash. Looks like you've got a really rare Pokémon on your hands there."

"Yeah, but you know what? Even if he had evolved into a normal Lycanroc or wanted to stay a Rockruff, I would love him all the same."

Lycanroc jumped on Ash, licking his face happily.

"Heh heh, down boy."

Everyone laughed before Samson walked over to them.

"Its too late to get going now. Why don't you two stay here for the night? I have a guest room and some sleeping bags you could use."

"Are you sure? We don't want to impose."

"Please, I insist. It's the least I could do for showing me a never before seen Pokémon, even if it was by accident."

"Well in that case, we'd be happy to!"

With that, the four of them walked into the house to get ready for bed, knowing that whatever adventures tomorrow brought they'd be ready.


	32. The Hated Boss That Beats You Down

Chapter 32: The Hated Boss That Beats You Down

The next morning, Ash and Ilima had breakfast with Gary and Samson while discussing their plans.

"Well, I want to go for my next Z Crystal, but I don't know where to go."

"Ah, then you'll be heading for Hokulani Observatory. Just go up Route 10 to the bus stop, and the bus will take you right up the mountain there."

"Well, that settles it then. Once we're all set to go, it to Mount Hokulani for us, right Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

"Yo, Open up! We know ya're in there!"

"What the-"

They all ran outside to find Team Skull outside their door. Five grunts, among them Tupp, Zipp, and Rapp, squatted on either side of a man barely in his 20's wearing a golde S necklace. He was wielding a megaphone, indicating that he was the one speaking, although when he spoke again, they wondered if it was even on.

"Yo, I'm in a hurry so I'll make it quick. Give me all your Pokemon, and I'll let you go."

"And who are you to make such outrageous demands?"

This made the grunts double over in surprise.

"What? Ya mean ya don't know who the strongest trainer in Alola is? What are ya, stupid?"

"Easy Tupp, they'll learn the hard way."

The leader turned to his prey, a smug grin adorning his face.

"Alright, I'm only going to tell ya once so listen up. Names Guzma, and these here runts have been telling me you've been picking on them. No one picks on my family and gets away with it, so I'm gonna take your Pokemon as payback, so fork them over."

"No way! If you want our Pokémon, then you'll have to go through me first."

Guzma laughed as he took out a Pokeball, amused by Ash's challenge.

"Fine then, I like it when people choose the hard way. Go, Golisopod!"

The ball opened to reveal a massive Bug wearing what appeared to be armor and sunglasses landed on the ground with a massive thud, shaking everyone.

"Woah, what kind of Pokémon is that? Rotom?"

"Zzzzt, already on it. Golisopod, the Hard Scale Pokémon. A Bug and Water Type. The shell on its body is as hard as a diamond. Its most powerful weapons are its claws, which it can extract and retract at will."

"A Bug and Water Type, huh? Well then, I choose Pikachu!"

"Pika!"

Guzma sneered.

"Golisopod, show that Kanto rat who's the boss around here. Use First Impression!"

"Pikachu, use…"

Before Ash could even issue a command, Golisopod ran right up to Pikachu and hit it with its massive claw, sending Pikachu skidding. Ash was surprised. For such a bulky Pokémon, it had moved so fast he couldn't even see it. Guzma sneered.

"If you want to win, you'd better wipe that stupid expression off ya face. Golisopod, use Razor Shell!"

"Volt Tackle, Pikachu!"

"Pikachuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

Pikachu rammed into Golisopod with a bright burst of electricity, causing it to grunt before using one of its scales to slash Pikachu back, causing him to flip over and land on its feet, panting heavily but still in the battle.

"Golisopod, put the rodent out if its misery with Pin Missile. Make sure it hurts."

"Dodge them all and use Electro Ball, right up close!"

Golisopod spat out pin after pin, exploding on the ground as Pikachu dodged all of them with increasing difficulty. Once he was close enough, he swatted the ball of electricity with his tail, hitting Golisopod with a massive explosion. When the dust cleared, Golisopod was nowhere to be seen.

"Huh? Where'd he go?"

Guzma snarled as he held Golisopod's Pokeball.

"Stupid Golisopod. It's his ability, Emergency Exit. Once he's taken enough damage, the coward runs away with his tail between his legs. Puh, you just got lucky is all. Come on boys and girl, lets scram before the cops show up."

"Huh? But boss, don't you want their Pokemon?"

"Tupp, what's the #1 rule of Team Skull?"

"Don't talk about Team Skull?"

"No, the other one. Always know when to cut your losses."

Guzma slouched off, hands in his pockets and mumbling to himself about "freakin' Golisopod." Realizing they didn't stand a chance, the grunts ran off after him, but not before Tupp turned back to Ilima.

"Don't think I've forgotten about what you did, Ilima. Next time we meet, I'll give you a beat down that you'll never forget!"

Ash and his friends watched the six retreat, not entirely sure what just happened.

"Hey guys! Over here!"

Everyone turned to see Professor Kukui and Lillie walking up the path.

"You guys alright? We heard all the commotion and came running."

"We're fine. Ash just beat Team Skull's leader and won!"

Kukui's face fell for a minute, but he quickly recovered.

"Well, that is something, isn't it? Congratulations, Ash!"

"Thanks, Professor! Hey, how's Burnett doing? Is she feeling better?"

Professor Kukui's grin grew bigger than Ash had ever seen.

"She's not just doing better, she's pregnant! In about 6 months, I'm going to be a dad! Woo!"

"Hey, congratulations!"

"You'll be a great father!"

Kukui just ate up the praise for a few minutes before turning to Ash.

"By the way Ash, I bet you're wanting to go to your next trial, right? If you'd like I can take you guys there. I need to head up that way anyhow."

"That sounds great!"

"Perfect, just finish getting ready."

After Ash and Ilima got ready to say their goodbyes.

"Good luck, Ash. I know you'll do great."

"Thanks, Gary. I know you'll make a great Pokémon researcher someday."

After the two high fived, Ash and Ilima made their way with Kukui to the bus stop, Gary and Samson waving until they were out of sight.


	33. Real Steel

Chapter 33: The Real Steel

The bus braked to a stop at the very top of Mount Hokulani, jolting the passengers from their thoughts.

"Alright everyone, last stop. Thank you for riding Exeggutor Express, and we hope you have a wonderful day."

The passengers disembarked, some deciding to check out the mountainside, while others headed for the small observatory, such as Ash and his companions.

"Alright, time for my seventh Z Crystal! Lets go!"

"Pika!"

Professor Kukui laughed, being the next one off the bus.

"What's the rush, Ash? We've got plenty of time. Why not take some time to enjoy the view?"

"Heh heh, sorry. I'm just excited."

"Oh, guests. Welcome."

Everyone turned to see a lanky blonde man wearing glasses coming out of the observatory.

"Molayne, great to see ya! Ash here was looking forward to his next trial. Is Sophocles in?"

Molayne shook his head.

"He is, but he's in the middle of some big invention. You know my cousin, once he gets busy nothing can stop him."

Ash's face fell.

"Aw man, I was hoping to get a Z Crystal today."

"Sorry Ash. If you'd like, I could battle you. I may not be a Totem Pokemon, but I can still throw down a good fight."

This raised Ash's spirits a little bit.

"Alright, I'll take you on. Three on three sound good to you?"

"You got it."

A few minutes later, Ash and Molayne stood facing each other 10 feet apart.

"You ready, Ash?"

"Sure am. Go, Torrcat!"

"Skarmory, I choose you!"

"Torrcat, Flamethrower!"

"Steel Wing, Skarmory!"

Skarmory just skated through the flames, barely getting singed as it hit Torrcat hard with its wing, forcing it back.

"Skarmory, use Air Cutter!"

"Flame Charge, Torrcat, full power!"

Skarmory used its wings to build up a gale force wind, but this only served to slow Torrcat down as he hit him in a firey burst, knocking it out of the air.

"Finish him off with Fire Fang, Torrcat!"

While Skarmory tried to recover, Torrcat leapt onto it and bit into its wing, finally knocking it out. Molayne smiled as he returned his Skarmory.

"Impressive Ash, but I still have two others you'll need to go through. Go, Metang! Use Zen Headbut!"

"Dodge it Torrcat, then use Ember!"

Torrcat leapt over the steel type with ease, releasing a small flame from its mouth to hit Metang directly. Although it wasn't a very strong attack, Metang took it pretty hard on account of being weak to fire.

"Torrcat, use Flamethrower!"

"Confusion, Metang!"

Torrcat did manage to hit it with a Flamethrower, knocking it out, but the Confusion attack hit its mark before hand, leaving Torrcat dazed, its head spinning around to find balance.

"Oh no, Torrcat's confused!"

"Confused? What do you mean?"

"When a Pokemon is confused, Lillie, it won't always know whats going on. Sometimes it'll hit the opponent, but other times it'll wind up just doing more damage to himself."

Despite being down 3 to 1, Molayne smirked at how well his plan was going.

"Don't count us out yet, Ash! Go, Dugtrio!"

Molayne's Dugtrio looked like a normal one, save for the luschious head of hair it had.

"Trio Dugtrio!"

"Don't give up Torrcat! Use Flame Charge!"

"Dugtrio, use Earthquake!"

Despite his best efforts, Torrcat couldn't focus long enough to get a hit off before the shaking ground threw him off his feet. When the attack finished, he was shaken but awake, his Confusion now gone.

"Alright Torrcat, hit him with Flame Charge at full force!"

"Mud Slap, Dugtrio!"

Torrcat dodged the mud with ease, ramming into the Dugtrio with such force that it knocked it out completely, winning Ash the match.

"Alright, way to go Torrcat!"

"Torr Torrcat Torr!"

Molayne smiled as he recalled his Dugtrio, he couldn't help but smile.

"Way to go Ash, you won fair and square. Looks like I'm a little out of practice."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short, Molayne. You gave me a good challenge."

Molayne then reached into his pocket, and pulled out a Z Crystal.

"I know I'm no longer a trial captain, but for your battling efforts and refusal to give up, I bestow upon you a Steelium Z."

Ash's face lit up in excitement. Looks like he was getting his Z Crystal after all.

"Alright, I got a Steelium Z!"

"Pika Pi!"

"Torr Torrcat!"

"What's all the noise?"

Everyone turned to see a short boy, possibly younger than Ash, standing in the entrance, pushing up his welding goggles as he walked outside. Molayne chuckled, rubbing his head in embarrassment.

"Sorry soffy, Ash and I were having a battle. Ash, this is my younger cousin Sophocles. He's your next trial captain."

Ash's eyes bugged out in shock.

"What? But he's like, 8 years old!"

"I'm 13! I'm just short for my age, don't judge."

"Well, can I take the trial now?"

Sophocles closed his eyes for a minute, thinking. He opened one eye slyly, having made his decision.

"You can."

"Alright!"

"Tomorow!"

Ash fell over in shock.

"What? Tomorrow? Is it because I called you short?"

"No, no, not at all. You see, my trial is the project I've been working on all morning. I just finished it, and I need to make sure I work out all of the kinks before anyone can take it."

Ash sighed, but accepted.

"Come on, why don't we give you guys a tour of the observatory?"

"Great idea, Big Mo! Come on, everybody!"

And so Sophocles and Molayne gave the group a tour of the base, giving little tidbits of information as they went. Everyone got a chance to use the large telescope, Ilima even managing to find Pluto!

"Hey Ash, come outside with me. I want to show you something."

Ash followed Kukui outside into the cool night air. He followed him to the edge of the mountain.

"Take a gander over there."

Ash looked toward where Kukui was pointing to find another mountain, much taller than the one they were on. Even craning his neck, Ash could only scarcely see its summit.

"Mount Lanakila, the largest mountain on Alola. Years ago this is where Trial goers faced their final challenge, a gauntlet against the Kahunas of the 4 islands to prove once and for all their growth as trainers. But nowadays that part is almost forgotten about, the battle site long faded away into nothing but rubble amongst the snow. Now trainers are content to just battle the fourth kahuna and call it a day, if they even bother to get that far."

Kukui shed a tear, saddened by the fading tradition, but his face quickly rose back into a grin.

"But after a lot of thinking, I think I've realized why. What does Island Trial Champion really mean? If we're being honest, its just a fancy title we use to give the illusion of importance, but outside of Alola barely anyone has heard of it. What we need is something the world will recognize, something to put the Island Trials on the map. And then it hit me: we need a league. Something to draw in trainers like you from far and wide, something to make people want to grow stronger to become #1."

"Wow, an Alola Pokemon League? That sounds awesome!"

"And I vow here today to build it, to make a league that not only makes the name Alola known far and wide, but brings back the old traditions in a way that will make Alolans proud to call it their own. One day I hope my child will challenge it and feel pride in his old man for working so hard for. One day...one day."

Ash put his hand on Kukui's shoulder.

"I think that's a great dream, Professor. And I promise to help you in any way possible."

"Thanks, Ash. I know with a little hard work, it'll become a reality!"

With that the two headed for the Pokemon Center, heading to sleep excitedly waiting for a new adventure the next day!


	34. The Electric Tale of Torrcat

Chapter 34: The Electric Tale of Torrcat

Ash was up bright and early, and he, Ilima, Lillie, and Kukui met Molayne and Sophocles at the Observatory.

"Hey Ash, you ready for the trial?"

"You bet, Sophocles! I'm pumped up and raring to go!"

"Great! I'll show you to the elevator. Big mo, please take our other guests to the viewing room."

"Sure thing, Softy. Come on, everybody."

"Good luck, Ash. You'll do great."

"Thanks guys, see ya later!"

"Pika!"

With that the two groups departed, Ash and Sophocles disappearing into the elevator.

After what seemed to be an endless trip downwards, the elevator doors opened to reveal a massive maze of walls and passages that seemed to go on forever. Ash's jaw dropped at the massive marvel.

"Woah. You did all of this by yourself?"

"Sure did, and it took me all week. It's a good thing we haven't got any challengers before you. Now, let me explain my trial. Somewhere in this massive maze is the Totem Pokemon of Mount Hokulani. But to get to it, you must open the path. Along the way, you'll find little puzzles to solve. Get them right, and the wall will pull back and you can continue. Get it wrong, and you'll get a very nasty surprise. Are you ready, Ash?"

"You know it! Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

"Then let the trial begin!"

With that, Ash made his way into the maze. At first, it was easy going, making the occasional left or right turn but for the most part it was straight forward. But the deeper he got into the maze, the more complicated it became, with three or even four-way intersections.

"Man Pikachu, this maze is making my head spin."

"Pika."

Their luck soon changed, however, when they came up to a console backed up against a wall.

"Hey, maybe its one of those puzzles we need to solve. What do you think, Pikachu?"

"Pika?"

"Well, only one way to find out."

On the console was a silhouette, with a question above asking "Who's that Pokemon?" With three options below: Litten, Popplio, or Rowlett.

"Puh, that's easy. The answer is Rowlett."

After making his selection, Ash took a step backward as the wall slide open, revealing a new passage.

"Alright, one down and three to go!"

After another 10 minutes of left and right turns, Ash came to another console. This one showed a picture of a Rhydon using Protect and asked "What move will allow you to damage this Pokémon? With his choices being Dig, Leer, and Feint. Ash grinned, knowing the answer from experience.

"The answer is Feint!"

After making his selection, the wall slid open to reveal his next passage.

"Alright, just one more to go. Come on, Pikachu, the Totem Pokémon awaits!"

"Pika Pikachu!"

It took them a while, but at last they came to the last console. Instead of having a question, this one showed an assortment of mixed up pictures arranged randomly.

"I bet this is a puzzle of some sort. If I arrange them in the right way, they ought to show a picture."

He began mixing the pictures around, trying to find a pattern. It took him a minute or two, but eventually each of the blocks were arranged to reveal a picture of a Porygon, opening the wall.

"Alright, Z Crystal here I come!"

Ash stepped through the wall to reveal not another series of passages, but a large nearly empty room. Some discarded machinery was pushed off to the side, and in the center was a large, very mad Togedemaru.

"MARU!"

"I guess that's the Totem Pokémon. Go, Torrcat!"

"Torr Torrcat!"

"Torrcat, use Flamethrower!"

Torrcat's burst of fire barely singed Togedemaru, who ran right up and hit him with a nuzzle, paralyzing him.

"Don't let up, Torrcat! Use Flame Charge!"

But despite his best efforts, Torrcat couldn't move, allowing Togedemaru to hit him with a Thunderbolt.

"Try it again, Torrcat! I know you can do it!"

This time Torrcat managed to pull it off, repelling Togedemaru's Zing Zag attack and sent it flying into a wall, although it recovered quite quickly.

"Way to go Torrcat! Now lets finish it off with an Inferno Overdrive!"

Despite the pain, Torrcat soldiered through and hit Togedemaru with its Z Move, sending the Totem Pokemon flying off into the darkness, winning Ash the trial.

"Alright, way to go Torrcat!"

"Pika!"

"Torr!"

Then, right before their eyes, Torrcat began to evolve, growing into a bipedal stance. When the light settled down, an Incineroar stood before them.

"Roar Incineroar!"

"Woah, Torrcat evolved! Do your stuff, Rotom."

"You got it, Ash! Zzzt, Incineroar, the Heel Pokémon, and the final evolution of Litten. When its fighting spirit is set alight, the flames around its waist become especially intense."

"Alright, awesome. Way to go Incineroar!"

Incineroar high fived Ash before he was returned to his Pokeball. Just then, the door in front of Ash opened to reveal Sophocles, Molayned, and his friends.

"Way to go, Ash! We were all watching from the control room."

"To think a trainer could beat a Totem Pokemon so soundly is quite remarkable."

"Thanks guys, but the real credit should go to Torr-I mean Incineroar."

"Well regardless, the Electrium Z is yours."

Ash's grin widened as Sophocles handed him the yellow Z Crystal proudly.

"Alright, I just got an Electrium Z!"

"Pika!"

Later that evening, Ash and his friends were ready to head back to Malie City, but not before saying goodbye to their new friends.

"Good luck, Ash. We know you'll do great on the rest of your Island Trial."

"Thanks, Sophocles. Keep up the good work here."

Ash, Ilima, Lillie, and Kukui made their way back to the bus stop, Sophocles and Molayne waving until they were out of sight.


	35. A Load of Stufful

Chapter 35: A Load of Stufful

After a night of camping under the stars, Ash and his friends made their way down Route 10 first thing the next morning.

"Alright, I got two Z Crystals for the price of one! All thanks to Incineroar."

"Yep, now you just have one more trial on Ula'ula Island."

"Well, they better be ready for me, because I plan on taking their trial by storm!"

Ash's friends just laughed at his confidence.

"Help! Somebody please help!"

Hearing the cry for help, Ash and his friends instantly rushed to their aid to find an elderly woman clearly in distress.

"Is everything alright, Ma'am?"

"Oh, its horrible. Just awful!"

"Its alright, Miss. We're here to help, but you need to tell us what's wrong."

After taking a moment to catch her breath, the older woman explained what was going on.

"I have eight Stufful, you see, and I saw that they needed some exercise. So I did what any good owner would do and took them out to Route 10 for a walk. I swear I turned around for only a second, but when I turned back they were all gone! Oh my little stuffuls, they're just little babies. They can't protect themselves yet."

"Its alright Ma'am. We'll help you look for them."

"Oh, thank you! They couldn't have gone too far, but I don't want to imagine what horrible creatures are out there waiting to harm them. My name is Elaine, by the way."

"Great to meet you. I'm Ash, and my friends are Ilima, Lillie, and Professor Kukui."

"Alright, let's get down to business."

The group of five searched all over Route 10, even using Ash's Trumbeak to get an aerial view, but the stufful were nowhere in sight. Elaine looked like she was about to cry.

"Hey, don't worry. We'll find them."

"Hurry up, Clutch! Put some muscle into it."

"My name is not Clutch, its Butch!"

"Who cares?"

Hearing the commotion, everyone turned and ran to find two very familiar Team Rocket Agents struggling to move a bag full of Stufful.

"Hey, let my Stufful go!"

Realizing they had an audience, Cassidy and Butch jumped into action.

"Prepare for Trouble…"

"…and make it double."

"Here's our mission, so you'd better listen!"

"To infect the world with devastation!"

"To blight all people in every nation!"

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

"Cassidy!"

"And Butch, of course!"

"We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night!"

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose this fight!"

While his companions gasped in horror, Ash groaned in annoyance.

"Oh great, not Cassidy and Ben."

"Its Butch! All these years and you still can't get my name right."

"You know these two, Ash?"

"Unfortunately. They're another Team Rocket team that I used to encounter every now and then. I haven't seen them since Sinnoh. Honestly, I thought they had been fired."

"If only we were that lucky! While Jesse and her pets get all the glory, Butch and I got demoted to lowly grunts, used for nothing more than kidnapping Pokemon and basic duties. Well, imagine our luck when we find all these Stufful just wondering in the grass. Once they evolve into powerful Bewear, Butch and I will get the respect we rightly deserve!"

"Yeah, and there's nothing you can do about it, so scram!"

"We'll see about that. Go, Lycanroc!"

"Braviary, I choose you!"

Cassidy and Butch sneered as Ash and Kukui sent out their Pokemon.

"Fine, have it your way. Go, Houndoom!"

"I Choose you, Primeape!"

"Lycanroc, use Rock Blast!"

"Not so fast! Hit him with a Karate Chop, Primeape!"

"Flamethrower, Houndoom!"

"Braviary, protect Lycanroc with Sky Drop on Primeape!"

"Braviary!"

Before Primeape could land its attack, Braviary scooped it up and carried it high into the sky, leaving Lycanroc free to barrage Houndoom with rocks, forcing it back. It recovered, ready to tear into Lycanroc…

Only for Primeape to be dropped right on it, causing it to fall over in pain. Ash and Kukui shared a look.

"Let's finish this. Lycanroc, hit them with Continental Crush!"

"Supersonic Skystrike, Braviary!"

Butch and Cassidy could only watch in horror as the attacks hit their Pokemon, Houndoom being crushed by a massive wall of rock while Primeape was struck from above, sending both them and their trainers flying after the collisions.

"This is all your fault, Barney!"

"For the last time, its Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuutttttttttttttttttttttch!"

As they blasted off, the bag of Stufful they were carrying fell down, and the Stufful cheerfully ran back to their owner.

"Oh, my babies, are you alright? Those mean Team Rockets didn't hurt you, did they?"

She then turned to her four helpers.

"Thank you so much. How can I ever repay you?"

"No need to do that, ma'am. We were just passing by."

"Well, thank you again. I best get these dearies back home before they get into any more trouble. Goodbye!"

Ash and his friends waved until Elaine was out of sight before making their way into Malie City proper.

Deciding to take a relaxing stroll through the Malie Gardens, Ash and his friends were surprised to see a poster on the bulletin boar that read "Nugget Park Challenge. Beat all five trainers posted around the park to win a big prize."

"Sounds like my kind of day at the park!"

An elder gentleman walked over to them.

"Ah, are you wishing to partake in the challenge?"

"I sure am!"

"Excellent! My name is Don, and I run this here shindig. But be warned, this won't be a walk in the park, pardon the pun."

"That's just how we like it, huh Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

"Good luck, Ash. I know you can do it."

"Thanks, Lillie."

"Then without further ado, let the battle commence!"


	36. The Nugget Challenge

Chapter 36: The Nugget Challenge

Ash sprinted off as soon as Don said go. He found the first trainer lurking in the grass, juggling a Pokeball.

"You one of the trainers part of the Nugget Challenge?"

"Sure am, but don't expect an easy fight. Go, Beedrill!"

"I never do. Go, Lycanroc!"

The large bug type jabbed its stingers at Lycanroc, who growled in response.

"Lycanroc, use Rock Throw!"

"Poison Sting, Beedrill!"

Lycanroc jumped out of Beedrill's path, its stinger lodging itself into the dirt before Lycanroc formed a boulder out of thin air and hurled it a Beedrill, knocking it back as it fluttered it wings to stay afloat.

"Hit him back with Pin Missile, Beedrill!"

"Dig, Lycanroc!"

By the time the giant stingers had found their way towards their opponent, Lycanroc was already underground. Beedrill darted its eyes around to try and spot it, to no avail. Then its trainer noticed a patch of dirt right underneath it start to shuffle.

"Beedrill, underneath you!"

But by the time Beedrill could react, Lycanroc had already leapt up and struck it, knocking it out. The trainer didn't feel bad, though, and smiled as he returned it.

"Good job, Beedrill. You get a nice long rest."

He then turned to Ash.

"Good battle, man."

"Thanks, you two. No hard feelings?"

"Nah., I did my best, I have no regrets."

The rest of Ash's battles went more or less the same way, his Pikachu knocking out a trainer's Pidgeotto, Shellgon knocking out a Crobat, Trumbeat a Nidorina, and finally Incineroar taking out a Mankey.

"Alright, that's all of the trainer's taken out!"

Don, who had been keeping an eye on Ash, walked over, a huge grin plastered on his face.

"Congratulations, Ash. As proof of your victory, I present to you a Big Nugget. These puppies sell for up to 10,000 dollars at any Pokemart or similar shop."

"Alright, thanks Don."

Ash struggled to hold up the large piece of gold, but eventually found his grip.

"And one more thing. I'm about to make an offer that will change your life for the better."

"How so?"

"How would you like to join Team Rocket?"

Ash couldn't believe his ears.

"What did you say?"

"Team Rocket. We're a group dedicated to stealing, selling, and otherwise making profit off of Pokémon. And under the leadership of our leader Giovanni, we'll conquer the world. So if I were you, I'd get on the winning team."

Ash's face turned into a scowl.

"No way! I'll never join with the likes of you!"

"Too bad, kid, cause I'm not asking."

Don then threw off his disguise, revealing a much younger man with purple hair wearing the traditional Team Rocket uniform.

"Perhaps a demonstration of power will convince you. Names Petrel, Team Rocket Executive, and master of disguise."

It was then that he noticed the Pikachu on Ash's shoulder, and something dawned on him.

"Wait a second, you're that kid with the Pikachu that Jessie and James are always complaining about."

"You know them?"

"Who did you think taught them to be masters of disguise?"

"Well, it doesn't matter. I have no interest in joining you guys, so scram!"

"We'll see about that. Go, Aggron!"

Ash's eyes narrowed as the mighty steel and rock type roared at him.

"Guess I don't have much of a choice. Go, Croconaw!"

Petrel just sneered at the crocodile.

"Please, that pup doesn't stand a chance. Hyper Beam!"

"Croconaw, use…"

Ash didn't get the chance to finish that sentence, however, because Aggron's Hyper Beam connected, knocking Croconaw out.

"Told you. Make it easy for yourself and just give in. Join now and you might just make it to Admin in a year."

"Fat chance. Lycanroc, I choose you! Use Accelerock!"

While Aggron rested from using Hyper Beam, Lycanroc charged right at him, hitting it with such force that knocked him back. To Ash's amazement, the Aggron disappeared, revealing a Zoroark in its place.

"What the-"

"Surprised? As Team Rocket's master of disguise, my Pokémon are all about illusion and mimicry. Zoroark, use another Hyper Beam!"

"Continental Crush, Lycanroc!"

Zoroark's Hyper Beam barely fazed Lycanroc, who crushed it with its Z Move and knocked it out. Petrel grunted in disgust as he returned his Pokémon.

"You're worthless. Go, Ditto!"

The pink blob Pokémon appeared, before copying Lycanroc's appearance through Transform.

"Ditto, use Accelerock!"

"You two, Lycanroc!"

The two attacks met in the middle, pushing both back with neither one gaining the edge.

"Ditto, keep it up with Accelerock!"

"Stone Edge, Lycanroc!"

Lycanroc howled as he made large stones erupt from the ground, but Ditto dodged them with ease as he kept running. To Petrel's surprise, Ash didn't give any further commands.

"Giving up already? Fine by me."

Lycanroc took the Accelerock right to the face, howling in pain as he doubled back.

"Finish him off with…"

"Lycanroc, use Counter!"

Lycanroc recovered quickly, grabbing the imposter Pokémon before throwing it, sending it crashing through two rocks before it landed at Petrel's feet out cold.

"Alright, way to go Lycanroc!"

"Lycanroc!"

Petrel growled, nearly crushing Ditto's Pokeball in his fist before marching over and grabbing Ash's arm.

"Hey, let me go!"

"No way, kid! You're coming with me. Giovanni will want to see this."

"PUT HIM DOWN AND YOUR HANDS UP!"

In shock, Petrel released Ash to find a small army of Police Officers surrounding him, Arcanine's ready to burn him to a crisp. Realizing he couldn't get out of this; he raised his arms in defeat as an Officer Jenny walked over to handcuff him.

"You're under arrest for poaching, soliciting minors, attempted kidnapping, illegal mining, and probably a hundred other crimes we don't know about. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one you will be provided with one. Take him away!"

As he was carted off to a car, Petrel turned back towards Ash.

"You haven't seen the last of me, twerp! I'll get out, and once I do you better believe I'll be coming for you!"

"Move it, punk!"

Ash watched as Petrel was driven away, hopefully for good. An officer walked over to him.

"Sorry son, but I'm afraid I'll have to take your Big Nugget in for evidence."

"Of course, Officer."

"Thank you. Stay safe and be on the lookout. Wherever there's one Rocket, there's bound to be more."

"I will."

"Ash! Are you alright!"

Ash turned to find his three companions running up to him.

"I knew there was something I didn't like about that Don fellow, so I called the park office. Turns out they had never heard of the guy before! I called the police immediately after."

"I'm fine. It's a good thing the police showed up when they did, or who knows what might have happened."

"They're questioning the trainers now. They didn't know he was part of Team Rocket; said they had only paid them to help him out. The officers are making sure they get home safely."

"Wow Ash, that sure was brave of you to face him like that. I don't think I could have been."

"Oh, I don't know Lillie. I'd say your one of the bravest people I know."

Lillie blushed as everyone left to find a place to sleep for the night, content in knowing that the worse was over.

Giovanni sat in his office, eating his dinner while watching the evening news. A particular news story catching his attention.

"A recruiting operation has been uncovered in Malie Garden today, resulting in the arrest of several Team Rocket members involved, including the executive Petrel."

Giovanni snarled, but calmed down slightly when his Persian rubbed against his leg affectionately. He briefly considered leaving them to rot in jail but decided against it. He couldn't risk any of them revealing his plans just for a lighter sentence, and Petrel was known to blab.

"We now go live to Malie motel, where the trainer who uncovered the operation, a young Ash Ketchum…"

Giovanni's eyes went wide with shock, his ears tuning out the interview as his eyes focused solely on the boy. He had heard the name a few times, from looking at league results in the paper to his grunts occasionally mentioning the name, but never thought much of it. But to hear his name spoken so clearly, and to look see his face was different. He vaguely felt like he had seen the boy before but could not think of where or how they could have met. But one thing was for sure, there was no question in his mind who his mother was.

"Delila…"

Few things in his life had ever surprised Giovanni, but this had just topped the list.


	37. The Poisonous Fangs of Team Skull

A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out. I had hoped to get this out before New Years, but since it was mostly a filler chapter I figured it could wait. Then a combination of writer's block, going full time at work, and just generally not having time hit me and here we are now. Long story short, expect update to be less frequent, but I hope to get a chapter out a week. But regardless, I hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter 37: The Poisonous Fangs of Team Skull

After answering any questions from the police, Ash, Ilima, and Lillie headed for The Aether House while Kukui decided to head back to Melemele Island and keep Burnett from worrying. On their way to the Aether House, they decided to rest in Tapu Village, a tiny town south of Mount Lanikila.

"There you go, Ash. Your Pokemon are all set to go."

"Thanks Nurse Joy!"

"Your quite welcome."

Ash walked over to a bench, where Ilima and Lillie were reading a up on the building.

"It says here that The Aether House is run by The Aether Foundation as a safe haeven for children with no other place to go, giving them a home they may otherwise not have. Most of its residents are orphaned or abandoned children, with no one else to care for them."

Lillie's face fell into a sad frown.

"Oh my, those poor children."

"Indeed, but its nice to know that The Aether Foundation is there to provide shelter for them. Sometimes we get so caught up in providing for Pokemon that we forget there are humans that need our help as well."

Lillie nodded in agreement, although secretly she wasn't so sure she agreed with Ilima's statement.

"Well what are we waiting for? Lets go!"

After a brief walk through Route 15, they reached The Aether House to find who else but Team Skull outside harassing its occupants.

"Yo yo yo, give us all your Pokemon."

"No way, you big meanie!"

"Yeah, my Yungoos isn't going anywhere with you!"

"Will you Team Skull goons ever learn?"

The Skull grunts eyes' went wide when they saw Ash coming down the path.

"Yo, big sis! That's him, the kid who beat Guzma!"

"Alright, out of my way, make room."

The leader of the group pushed her way through. She looked Ash up and down, sizing him up.

"Huh, you don't look so tough, but I guess looks can be deceiving. You know Guzma's been beating himself up real bad after your battle. All he does is sit in his room, beat his fists, and yell "Guzma! What is wrong with you!" Over and over."

"Man."

"Meh, don't take it to heart. He does this every time he looses."

This made Ash sweatdrop, but he quickly switched back to serious mode.

"Well, leave these kids alone! You want to pick on someone, pick on me!"

"If you insist. Go, Salazzle!"

From the Pokeball emerged a taller, slender version of Salandit which gave a roar at Ash before returning to a battle stance.

"Go, Lycanroc!"

To Team Skull's amazement, Ash's Dusk form Lycanroc emerged, barking madly at them before snarling at his opponent.

"Yo dawg, I ain't never seen a Lycanroc like that before."

"Naw man, me neither. Must be ultra rare."

"Lets nab it!"

"Will you goons keep it down back there! Salazzle, use Venoshock!"

"Dodge it and use Accelerock, Lycanroc!"

Lycanroc dashed past the shots of poison before ramming right into her gut. Salazzle was hurt, but stood her ground.

"Use Heat Wave, Salazzle!"

"Rock Throw, Lycanroc, full power!"

Lycanroc managed to ignore the extreme heat as he dug stones right into Salazzle's body, causing her to yowl in pain before a small explosion erupted, forcing them both back. When the dust settled, Lycanroc had landed on his feet, but Salazzle was out cold. This caused Team Skull to get angry.

"Hey, no one beats Big Sis and gets away with it!"

"Yeah, who does he think he is?"

"Lets get him!"

"NO!"

The grunts were taken aback by Plumeria's outburst.

"Come on, lets get going. We don't need a bunch of babies' Pokemon anyhow."

Begrudgingly, the grunts followed her back to their base. Ash and his friends then turned to the children.

"You kids alright?"

"Yeah, thanks to you guys!"

"Don't forget Lycanroc! He was awesome."

Lycanroc just gave a content growl as the children stroked his fur, eating up the attention.

"Oh dear, was mean old Team Skull here again?"

Everyone turned to see a girl, no older than Ash, walking towards them. The children's faces lit up on seeing her.

"Acerola, you're back! Yeah, they came around, but these three stopped them in their tracks!"

"Oh?"

Acerola turned to Ash and his friends.

"Well, it was really just Ash, but we would've stepped in if needed. Right, Lillie?"

"Oh, um, of course."

Acerola smiled.

"Well anyone who is an enemy of Team Skull is a friend of mine. Thanks for looking out for these little tykes."

"Its nothing, really. Actually, I was just on my way to take on the second trial on the island. Do you know the Trial Captain?"

Acerola gave a light laugh.

"Well I should hope I know them. They are me, after all!"

Everyone's jaw dropped.

"You?"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

Ash put his hands up defensively.

"No, no, no. We didn't mean it like that, we're just surprised, is all."

Acerola smiled.

"Aw, I'm just messing with you. Most people don't expect me to be a Trial Captain because I'm so young, but trust me I'm more than capable. Anyway, if you want I can take you to my trial tonight."

"Why tonight?"

"You'll see. But in the meantime you're welcome to stay here and rest. I'm sure the kids would love to play with Lycanroc some more."

"Oh that's right! I still need to return him to his Pokeball."

Ash pulled out Lycanroc's Pokeball, ready to return him...

Only to find Lycanroc sticking his tongue out as the children gave him a belly rub, tail thumping the ground in happily.

"Or...maybe not."


	38. Give Up the Ghost

Chapter 38: Give Up The Ghost

At Dusk, Ash and Acerola headed for Akala Cemetery for his trial. Ilima and Lillie stayed behind to watch the children at Acerola's insistence and their complaining. They calmed down after Ash agreed to leave Lycanroc behind for them to play with, allowing the two of them to leave without trouble.

Night fell as they reached the entrance, fog hanging low like an ominous curtain. A Noctowl hooted in the distance, causing Ash to jump to Acerola's amusement.

"If that scares you, you might as well turn back now. You'll never make it through to the end if you can't keep it together."

"Hey, I'm not scared! It just surprised me, that's all."

"Uh uh, suuuuure. Hold up."

Ash stopped as Acerola stepped forward, gesturing to the wrought iron steel gates guarding the graves within.

"Your trial is simple: spend one night in the cemetery alone."

"Really, that's it? Done."

Ash moved to go in, only to be held back.

"You don't really think its that simple, do you? Inside lie restless ghosts who don't take kindly to the living intruding on their slumber."

Ash gulped nervously, causing Acerola to chuckle.

"Oh, they won't harm you. Not physically, at least. But they do like to play nasty tricks on those whom they think are up to no good."

Feeling a bit more at ease, Ash took the backpack Acerola offered to him.

"This has everything you'll need to survive the night: Food, Pokemon food, water, sleeping bag, flashlight, etc. If at any time you want to stop, just yell and I'll come get you. Good luck, Ash."

Taking a nervous gulp, Ash stepped inside, the gates creaking shut behind him.

An hour had passed, and so far Ash and Pikachu were doing alright. Ash had set up a campfire using some sticks and a lighter from the backpack, allowing him and Pikachu to keep warm.

"This isn't too bad, right buddy?"

"Pika!"

Just then, a soft giggling was heard. Ash whipped his head around to see a little girl, bouncing a ball as she walked off into the mist.

"Hey, come back! Come on Pikachu, lets go get her!"

"Pika!"

The two gave chase, taking a flashlight to find their way. But even that was just barely enough to see where they were going, and they only had the laughter to know which direction to go. Finally Ash had to stop, doubled over trying to catch his breath as the voice came again.

_"You're here..."_

"Huh? Who said that?"

_"I'm trapped... and I'm lonely..."_

"Its alright, you don't need to be scared anymore. Just come on out."

_"So very lonely... won't you join me?"_

As the voice faded out, the fog lifted slightly to reveal a tombstone. As Ash approached it, he read it to himself.

**Here Lies Ash Satoshi Ketchum.**

**Buried Alive.**

"Huh? I'm not-"

Suddenly, two disembodied white hands emerged from the ground, grabbing his ankles and throwing him to the ground, causing him to grunt in annoyance.

"Hey, get off!"

After several kicks and punchs, the hands flew off, dissipating when they hit the ground. Pikachu ran up to Ash, worried.

"I'm alright buddy, but we better get back to our camp...site?"

Ash looked around, only to see the fog rolling back in as his flashlight died.

"Aw man, this sucks!"

Just then he felt tapping at his shoulder.

"Not now, Pikachu! Now lets see, we ran from the North... or was it East? No, that can't be it..."

"Pika?"

"I said not now!"

Now Pikachu was tugging at his pants leg,desperate to get his attention.

"Alright, fine, but this better be-"

Ash turned around to see an ominous purple cloud behind him, yellow eyes glowing from within.

_"Begone...intruders..."_

"Trying to scare me, are ya? Go, Incineroar!"

With a mighty "Roar!" Ash's fire type burst out, swiping its paws at its opponent fiercely.

_"Begone...intruders!"_

The ghost flung itself at Incineroar, only to be slapped back by Darkest Lariat, its disguise dissipating to reveal a Mismagius, unhurt but ready to battle.

"You still want some? Incineroar, use Crunch!"

Incineroar powered through Mismagius's Shadow ball, sending it back at her with a swipe before biting down hard on her, the two attacks combining to knock her out. Defeated, the Mismagius gave Ash a spiteful glare before slinking back into the shadows. Ash collapsed, sighing in relief.

"Ah man, I don't know if I can get back to sleep after that.'

"Hmm, not bad."

Ash turned to see an older gentleman standing a few feet away, hands in his pockets.

"Who are you."

"Name's Nanu. Acerola asked me to keep an eye on her trial goers, make sure the ghosts don't go too far, stuff like that. Come on, I'll show you back to your campsite."

Without another word, Nanu turned around and walked away, Ash following close behind. After another few minutes, Ash found them back at his campsite as the sun rose overhead.

"Thanks, Mr. Nanu..."

Ash turned around, having overtaken the man, only to not see him anywhere.

"Huh? But where did-"

"Oh Ash, looks like you made it!"

Ash turned around to see Acerola running up to him.

"Congratulations! I hope you didn't have too much trouble."

Ash considered mentioning being attacked, but decided against it. After all, she had warned him that the ghosts loved to play tricks.

"No, not too much."

"Well, as I promised, the Ghostinium Z is yours."

Ash grinned broadly as he held the light purple crystal in his hand.

"Alright! I got a Ghostinium Z!"

"Pika Pi!"

Acerola smiled, happy to see another challenger pass her test.

"Come on, lets go show everyone."

The two turned and walked away. Unbeknownst to them, lurking in the shadows was a Mismagius, glaring at Ash before slinking back into the graveyard.


	39. Showdown in Po Town

Chapter 39: Showdown in Po Town

Ash confidently strode back to Aether House, admiring his new Z Crystal in his Z-Ring.

"Alright, now I just need to take on the Kahuna. Bring it on!"

"Easy there, Ash. First I need to check in on the kids."

But both of them were shocked when they made their way back. The two children were bawling, Lillie, Ilima, and Ash's Lycanroc collapsed in a heap on the ground, bruised and forlorn.

"Tyler, what happened?"

Tyler ran int Acerola's arms, barely able to form coherent sentences.

"It-it's horrible! Those Team Skull meanies came and took my Yungoos! Lillie and Ilima tried to stop them, but they played dirty and made their Pokemon attack them! And when Lycanroc stepped in, they hosed him!"

This made Ash's blood boil.

"Those dirty low lifes! Where'd they go?"

"They fled back to their base at Po Town, and said if we ever wanted to see Yungoos again, you need to go there alone."

"Then that's where I'll go!"

"I'll go too."

Ash shook his head.

"No, they said I need to go alone. If you come along, it'll end badly. Besides, you need to stay here and keep an eye on everyone."

"Alright, but I'm calling the cops in case things go South. Stay safe, Ash."

"I will."

After 10 minutes of travel, Ash came upon the entrance to Po Town, a pair of Team Skull grunts waiting for him.

"Yo dawg, you want to get to the boss, you gotta get through us."

Ash grinded his teeth, but before he could make a move a voice spoke up behind him.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Ash and the grunts turned to see Nanu walking up behind him, cracking his knuckles. This made the grunts nervous.

"Ah man, not this guy again!"

"Acerola called and told me what happenend. Now, are you going to let my friend here in or is there going to be trouble?"

The grunts shook their head, and unlocked the gate.

"Alright, alright. You can go in, but don't think Guzma will be an easy fight."

Ash nodded, before turning to Nanu.

"Thanks for the assist. So, whats the plan? Police raid, Sting operation? How are we going to do this?"

"We? Kid, this is your fight, not mine. Besides, Team Skull isn't even worth the trouble. The only reason why we let them have Po Town is because its been abandoned for years. Good luck."

Nanu walked away with his hands in his pockets, enraging the grunts.

"Not worth it? Come over here and say that to our face!"

"If you're so cocky then come over and fight us!"

Nanu stopped, considered it for a minute, then turned around.

"Alright, fine. Ash, you go on ahead. I'll take care of these goons."

Ash nodded, then entered the town.

Rain poured down heavily, lightning dashing across the sky to illuminate the tall, dark, mansion down the street. Two Skull grunts blocked his way.

"Yo, yo, yo! Its the boy who beat down the boss! Guzma's been real mad about that!"

"Let me guess, you guys want to stop me?"

To Ash's surprise/relief, the grunts shook their head as their eyes went wide.

"You kiddin me? We don't stand a chance against anyone who can do that."

"Yeah. Sides, big brother wants you all for himself. Come on, we'll take you right to him."

The two lead Ash through the town, various grunts glaring at him from their posts. Once inside the Po House, they lead him up a flight of stairs and into the master bedroom, where Guzma stood tall, the Yungoos cowering behind him.

"Well, well, well. Looks like you came here for a rematch. This time you're the one who's getting a beat down!"

"Look, If you want a rematch, that's fine with me, but you need to let that Yungoos go first!"

Guzma laughed evily.

"That's your only demand? Fine by me, I just needed him to get your attention. Boys, let the squirt go."

Guzma stepped aside, and the Yungoos ran out, yipping in fear the whole way. After that, the two walked out to the backyard.

"Three on three, subsitutions allowed. Deal?"

"Works for me. Go, Golissopod!"

"Pikachu, lets show him what we've got!"

The massive Bug snarled at Pikachu, who pawed at the ground in fury.

"Golisopod, First Impression! Hit him hard and fast!"

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu swiftly ran right up Golisopod's arm as it went in for the kill, surprising the bug before slamming its tail right into its face with such force that Golisopod retreated in fear, forcing itself into his Pokeball before Guzma could react. Growling, Guzma brought out his next Pokemon.

"Golisopod, what's wrong with ya? Fine, Pinsir, get in here!"

The massive beetle thudded onto the ground, snapping its pincers menacingly.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!"

Guzma stayed silent, allowing Pikachu to charge up electricity as he ran. Then, just as he took a flying leap...

"Guillotine, now!"

Pincer lowered his head, catching a surprised Pikachu in its pincers. Smirking, the bug closed them, illiciting a bloodcurdling scream from Pikachu as it cried out in pain.

"Pikachu!"

Satisfied that the damage had been done, Piincer let go, allowing the defeated rat to slump to the ground, badly bruised. Ash ran onto the field, scooping him up into his arms.

"Pikachu, are you alright? Speak to me!"

"Pikaaa."

Guzma snickered, causing Ash to glare at him with the heat of a thousand suns.

"That was a dirty trick."

"Hey, guillotine is a perfectly legal move. Its just a little bit off on the accuracy, so I let you get in close. Now send out your next weakling for the slaughter."

Ash grinded his teeth, ready to show Guzma a thing or two. Setting Pikachu somewhere safe, he took out his next Pokemon.

"Go, Incineroar!"

With a mighty "Roar!" the proud Wrestler slammed onto the field, assuming a fighting stance while shooting daggers at Pincer, who snapped his pincers mockingly.

"Incineroar, use Flame Charge, full power!"

"Pinsir, use-"

Guzma couldn't even finish his sentence before Pinsir was hit full front with a ball of fire, sending it flying into a concrete wall. The wall crumbled under the force, and Pinsir was knocked out cold. Shocked, Guzma stared at Ash in disbelief.

"Nobody. Does that. To Pikachu. EVER!"

Guzma smirked, undauntered by Ash's death glare.

"Peh, fine. Go, Golissopod!"

Guzma's heavy hitter emerged with a roar.

"Hit him with a Hydro Pump, Golissopod!"

"Darkest Lariat!"

The massive burst of water barely fazed Incineroar, who merely powered through it before reaching its target, slapping Water-Bug Type over and over until it passed out, its earlier battle with Pikachu having taken its toll.

Realizing he didn't have a chance, Guzma walked away.

"Do I look stupid to you? Get out of here, you win."

Ash marched over to him, stopping him from going inside. Guzma snarled, prepared to give the kid a beating...

only to be decked right across the face, sending him spiraling to the floor. Before he could get back up, Ash slammed his foot onto his chest, pinning him to the ground.

"You're pathetic. You're losing so you just decide to quit? After what you did to Pikachu, you don't deserve to call yourself a trainer."

"Pikaaaaa."

Ash glanced over to see Pikachu shaking violently. Placing a hand to the rodent's forehead, Ash found it to be burning hot. Realizing he needed medical attention and quick, Ash scooped him up and made his leave, but not before turning back to Guzma one more time.

"If you had any kind of brains, you'd stay where you are. If I catch you causing trouble again, you'll wish you were never born."

With that, he ran off, leaving Guzma to stew in the rain.

When he reached the town entrance, he found Nanu standing over two fallen grunts, Acerola running up to him. When she saw Pikachu's state, she gasped.

"Ash, what happened?"

"I'll explain later, but right now I need to get Pikachu to a Pokemon Center and fast!"

"Yes, of course."

Nanu walked away, the Yungoos running behind him.

"I'll head back and check on the kids. Hope your Pikachu gets better."

"Thanks. Come on Acerola, we need to go!"

"Right!"

The two of them ran off for the nearest center, Pikachu shaking in agony. Ash could only stare in worry.

"Don't worry, Buddy. We'll fix you up. But next time I see Guzma, he'll pay for this."


	40. Missing Spark

Chapter 40: Missing Spark

Ash could only sit anxiously in the waiting room, Acerola sitting beside him doing her best to comfort him.

"Please be alright, Pikachu. If anything happened to you, I'd never forgive myself."

"There, there, Ash. Nurse Joy is the best there is. Pikachu's in good hands."

"Ash!"

Ash looked up to see Lillie, Illima, and the children Acerola was looking after burst into the Pokemon Center, Nanu trudging behind them with his hands in his pockets.

"Figured you might want them to know what's going on. Any news?"

"No. He's been in surgery for a whole hour. I'm starting to get worried."

A small ding indicated the operating room doors opening, and Nurse Joy stepped out. Ash ran over to her so fast he almost knocked her over.

"Well? Will Pikachu be alright?"

Nurse Joy gave a kind smile, knowing Ash could use some good news.

"Pikachu will be just fine. You got him here just in time."

Everyone, including Nanu, breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"That's a relief. Can we see him?"

"Of course, I just gave him some dinner. Follow me."

After a few minutes of walking, they made their way to the long term recovery area, where Pikachu was happily munching on his dinner. A large bandage was wrapped around his abdomen. He perked up when Ash and his friends came over.

"Hey buddy, how you feeling?"

"Chu."

Ash smiled, gently petting his partner's head, which made him happy. Nurse Joy walked over with Pikachu's charts on a clipboard.

"He'll need to stay here for the next couple of days so I can make sure all of his injuries have healed."

"Alright. Thanks, Nurse Joy."

"Of course, Ash."

Ash then turned to Pikachu.

"I've got to go now, buddy. You be good for Nurse Joy, alright?"

"Pikachu."

After everyone petted him goodbye, the gang headed back to the Aether House. As they were walking, Nanu spoke to Ash.

"So Ash, all that's left for you now is the Grand Trial, right?"

"Yep. It sucks Pikachu can't be on my side, but that just means I'll have to work even harder just for him!"

Nanu smirked mischievously.

"Well then, looks like you're my next opponent."

Ash's jaw dropped.

"You're the Kahuna?"

Acerola laughed.

"He sure is! Uncle Nanu is the best Kahuna there is!"

"For the last time, I'm not your uncle. Besides, I'm only the Kahuna because Tapu Bulu forced it on me. Anyway, you've been through a lot today, so I'll wait until tomorrow for our battle."

"I look forward to it, Nanu."

"Well, that makes one of us. Here you kids are, you know my number if something happens."

With that, Nanu sauntered off. Seeing that it was too late to do anything else, everyone decided to get some sleep for the next day.

Ash was up bright and early the next day training, much to the annoyance of Tyler and Grace. Lycanroc and Shelgon were sparring, Ash giving directions as needed.

"Shelgon, use Dragon Claw! Lycanroc, use Counter!"

Shelgon oblidged, using one of its feet to slaw at his opponent. Lycanroc reeled, before using the tip of its fur to fling Shelgon back, who recovered without much issue.

"Great work, guys! Nanu doesn't stand a chance!"

Lycanroc wagged his tail happily at the praise, and even Shelgon seemed to perk up a bit.

"Do you know who you're third Pokemon will be yet?"

"Sure do, Lillie! I'll keep Incineroar as backup."

"Cocky, aren't we?"

Everyone turned to see Nanu walking down the path, hands in his pockets as usual.

"Lets see if you have the skill to back it up. Oh, and I brought some friends to watch, if you don't mind."

From behind him, Nurse Joy rolled forth a stretcher, with a still weak but improving Pikachu resting a top it. A few other Pokemon from the center also came along, wanting to see the fight. Ash walked over to his Pikachu, gently ruffling his fur.

"Hey buddy, good to see you recovering. Don't worry, you'll be on your feet in no time."

"Chu."

After making sure his partner was comfortable, Ash turned to Nanu.

"Alright, you ready for this?"

"I guess."

After making enough room for the battle, Nurse Joy stepped forward to act as referee.

"This grand trial between the Kahuna Nanu and challenger Ash of Pallet Town will now begin. Each trainer will use three Pokemon, and the battle will conclude when all Pokemon on either side has been declared unable to battle. Are the trainers ready?"

"I'm ready!"

"Whatever."

"Then let the battle begin!"

"Lycanroc, I choose you!"

"Sableye, go."

Lycanroc growled at the menacing ghost, who just waved his hands in a "come at me, bro" motion.

"Sand Attack, Lycanroc!"

Before Nanu could even open his mouth, Lycanroc began digging at the Earth, kicking up huge amounts of sand in his opponent's face. Every time Sableye managed to wipe off one wave, another took its place.

"Sableye, use Shadow Ball."

"Accelrock, Lycanroc!"

At last, the dirt barrage was over and Sableye could regain its composure, charging up a Shadow Ball...

Only to be rammed head first by his opponent, its attack going wild and dissipating into thin air.

"Shadow Claw, Sableye."

"Lycanroc, use Iron Tail!"

The two met in the middle, their eyes meeting as their attacks battled for supremacy. At last, Lycanroc won over, knocking Sableye to the ground and out cold.

"Sableye is unable to battle. The round goes to the challenger Ash!"

"Alright, way to go Lycanroc!"

"Roc Lycanroc!"

Nanu remained emotionless, wordlessly returning Sableye before releasing his next Pokemon, a Krookodile.

"Return, Lycanroc. Go,Shelgon!"

Nanu's Krookodile lowered his sunglasses, sniffing at its opponent indignantly, making Shelgon growl in anger.

"Shelgon, hit him with Dragon Breath!"

"Take it Krookodile, then use Power Trip."

Krookodile crossed his arms as the wave of energy hit, before retaliating with his own wave of dark energy, pushing Shelgon back.

"Use Crunch."

Krookodile ran up, teeth barred while Shelgon stood still awaiting Ash's orders. Ash allowed Krookodile to get close, then...

"Hyper Beam, Shelgon!"

Just before Krookodile could land the final blow, Shelgon released a massive beam, sending the crocodile flying. When it crashed onto the ground, it was already knocked out.

"Krookodile is unable to battle, the round goes to Shelgon!"

Once more Nanu returned his defeated Pokemon without a change in emotion.

"Go, Persian."

The Alolan version of Persian, a dark type, circled menacingly, sizing up its opponent.

"Return, Shelgon. Incineroar, you're up!"

"Persian, use Shadow Claw."

"Use Fire Punch, Incineroar!"

Fire and Purple clashed, the two using their respective limbs to strike each other with neither one backing down. Eventually though, Incineroar began to wear down.

"Persian, use Iron Tail!"

Persian leapt up, ready to bring its tail down with all his might, but...

"Use Fire Blast, Incineroar!"

Persian could only gasp in horror before a massive wave of fire struck him, sending it flying. It crashed, skidded on the ground, before stopping at Nanu's feet, down for the count. A moment of silence struck the field before Nurse Joy made the call.

"Persian is unable. The round and the match go to the challenger Ash from Pallet Town!"

"Alright! Way to go, incineroar!"

"Incineroar!"

Nanu recalled his Persian, and if one didn't know him, they might think a smile had crept onto his face.

"Good job, Persian."

He then walked over to Ash, reaching into his pocket.

"Way to go, kid. Here, the Darkinium Z is yours."

"Alright! I got a Darkinium Z!"

Pikachu wanted to jump up and celebrate, but due to his injuries he could only give a weak fist pump with a "Chu" for emphasis. Luckily, his fellow audience members were loud enough for him.

"Alright, way to go Ash!"

"You're the man!"

"All that's left is Poni Island."

Nanu smirked as Ash's friends crowded around him before walking off. Large celebrations weren't really his thing.

A week later, Pikachu was ready for travel and Ash, Illima, and Lillie were ready to move on. Acerola, Tyler, Grace, Sophocles, and Molayne came to see them off.

"Good luck, Ash. We're all rooting for you."

"Next time you're on Ula'ula, come by the observatory. I'll have plenty of new inventions to show ya."

"And I can't wait to have another battle."

"Will do! Well, there's the ferry, we better get going."

The ferry soon set off, the trio waving to their friends on land until they were nothing more than a speck in the distance. Ash then turned to the distant Poni Island

"Look out Poni, Ash Ketchum's coming to knock you down!"


	41. The Seafolk Village

Chapter 41: The Seafolk Village

Ash stepped off the ferry, breathing in the fresh Alola air.

"Ah, you smell that, buddy? That's the smell of new adventures!"

"Pika!"

Lillie and Illima chuckled at their friend's excitement.

"Good old Ash, always ready for adventure."

"Can you blame him? The Island Trial Challenge is perfect for someone like him."

The trio strolled through the docks. In truth, the village was barely a mile long, with small boats docked along it serving as either houseboats, shops, or restaurants. A few people walked about, but it was by no means busy. Among them was somebody Ash and Illima recognized, to Lillie's shock.

"Gladion! Hi!"

"Gladion?"

Sure enough, Gladion was sitting on a bench sharing a malassada with his Lycanroc. He looked up to see Ash running towards him.

"Oh, its you."

"How have you been? What you've been up to?"

"Trying to find meaning in this eternal vortex of despair I call life."

"Oh...that's great, I guess."

"Hi, Gladion."

Gladion looked up in shock to see Lillie walking awkwardly up to them.

"Lillie?"

"Wait, you know this guy Lillie?"

"Gladion is...my older brother."

Ash and Gladion's jaws dropped in shock.

"Your brother? Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"We haven't seen each other in a long time."

Gladion sat up, ready to leave.

"Nice seeing you."

"Gladion, wait!"

"Hmm?"

"How about a Pokemon battle? My team's gotten a lot stronger since we last met."

Gladion paused, considering the proposal, before turning around.

"Alright, lets do it."

The group of four moved to a meadow outside of the village before making ample room for a battle.

"Three on three, deal?"

"As you wish. Go, Golbat!"

"Trumbeak, I choose you!"

The two flying types emerged, glaring at eachother as they flapped aloft.

"Golbat, use Acrobatics."

"Dodge, then use Aerial Ace, Trumbeak!"

Golbat swooped back and forth, nearly making Trumbeak dizzy. Fortunately, it just barely managed to duck beneath his opponent's attack before strking it with its wing, sending the bat spiraling before it realigned itself.

"Leech Life, Golbat, and don't let go."

"Hit him with Steel Wing, Trumbeak!"

Golbat swooped in headfirst, fangs barred and glistening. Trumbeak struck it with its shiny wing...

Giving his opponent the perfect place to strike, biting down hard on the wing, sucking Trumbeak's energy as it cried in pain.

"Keep it up, Golbat."

"Shake him off, Trumbeak! Use Peck!"

Trumbeak glared before pummeling Golbat's eye with his beak, causing the bat to growl in pain before releasing its grip, trying to nurse its eye with its wing.

"Rock blast, Trumbeak!"

While Golbat tried to recover, Trumbeak swooped down and collected stones in his mouth. At last, Golbat had eased the pain and was ready for battle once more...

Only to be hit by a barrage of rocks, sending it to the ground unconscious. Gladion remained emotionless, returning it to its Pokeball before drawing another.

"Go, Sneasel."

The Dark Ice Type swiped at Ash, trying to intimidate him. Realizing he was at a disadvantage, Ash returned his Trumbeak.

"Return, Trumbeak. Get a good rest. Go, Croconaw!"

Ash's Croconaw snapped at its opponent, trying its best to be intimidating.

"Sneasel, use Freeze-Dry."

Before Croconaw could even move, he was blasted by an icy wind, causing it to shiver to Lillie's surprise.

"I thought Water type Pokemon resisted Ice Type moves? Why is Croconaw taking such a hard hit?"

"Normally you'd be correct, Lillie, but Freeze-Dry is the exception. Its super effective against water types, and since that's the only type Croconaw has, Ash needs to be careful."

"Shake it off, Croconaw, and use Water gun!"

Managing to power through, Croconaw shot a stream of water right through the wind, hitting Sneasel and pushing it back, ending the barrage of ice.

"Use Ice Claw, Sneasel."

"Meet him with Aqual Tail!"

Sneasel charged forward, claws encased with ice, only to be swatted back by Croconaw's swinging tail. It tried again, the two limbs clashing in the middle before both retreated, no worse for wear.

"Blizzard, Sneasel."

"Use Brick Break to destroy the ice!"

Sneasel breathed a massive wave of cold air, icicles forming into little spears. Croconaw smirked, using his reflexes and strength to break them apart easily. Eventually, Sneasel became to worn out to continue, Croconaw not suffering any damage aside from patches of frost.

"Finish this with Super Power, Croconaw!"

Before Sneasel could recover, Croconaw ran up to it, swooped it off its feet, and spun it around before slamming it into the ground with such force that it cracked. Sneaseld groaned before passing out. Once more, Gladion wordlessly returned it, pausing slightly before sending out his last Pokemon.

"Hope your'e ready for this. Go, Type:Null!"

The bizarre creature slammed onto the ground, snorting as it clawed at the ground. Ash could only gasp in horror.

"That's the Pokemon that beat Pikachu! Watch out, Croconaw."

Gladion smirked, an idea coming into his head.

"If you want, you can send out your other two as well."

"Huh? Are you sure?"

"I'm sure Null would like the practice. But rest assure, it won't make a difference."

Intrigued by the idea, Ash nodded before taking out Trumbeak's Pokeball, Pikachu leaping off his shoulder.

"If you insist. Go, Trumbeak, Pikachu!"

The three Pokemon glared at their opponent, who shared the animosity.

"Alright guys, we can do this! Pikachu, use Electro Web! Trumbeak, you use Gust, and Croconaw, you use Hydro Pump!"

Pikachu lead the charge, shooting a web of sparks that ensnared Type:Null, shocking it and causing it to groan in pain. Croconaw followed behind, hitting it with a large burst of water that combined with the electricity caused it even greater pain, while the large gusts of wind from Trumbeak made it dificult to move. Gladion, however, remained calm.

"Break out of it."

To everyone's surprise, Type: Null did just that, shaking its fur to regain focus.

"No way!"

"Use Sandstorm."

Type:Null's eyes glowed as a massive wave of sand flowed over the field, making it difficult to see.

"You guys alright in there?"

"Pika!"

"Croconaw!"

"Beak!"

"Use Rock Slide."

Before Trumbeak could make another move, large rocks pelted it from above.

"Dragon Claw."

Croconaw turned, hearing a noise, only to be slapped right across the face hard.

"Crush Claw."

Pikachu darted its gaze, hearing its allies' cries of pain...

Only to be struck while its gaze was averted, sendig it spiraling.

"Finish this with Swift."

Stars struck the trio like daggers, sending them flying out of the sandstorm. When they landed on the ground, they were all unconscious. Ash was shocked, but recovered quickly, returning Trumbeak and Croconaw and Trumbeak before picking up Pikachu.

"Pika."

"Its alright buddy, you did great."

Gladion walked over, the smallest of smirks on his face.

"Not bad. Type:Null has never had to put so much effort into a battle before."

"Thanks, Gladion. Hey, why don't you travel with us?"

Gladion shook his head, making to leave.

"Thanks, but I prefer to travel alone. No one to slow me down. But tell me something: have you heard of the Pokemon Cosmog?"

Ash and Illima were puzzled, while Lillie grew anxious.

"It seems not. Trust me, you'll know it when you see it. Just whatever you do, protect it. No matter what."

With that, he walked away, leaving Ash and Co. in stunned silence.

Unbeknownst to them, two mysterious individuals were just out of sight, having witnessed the whole thing.

"Did you catch all of that?"

"Sure did. That's definately the Beast Killer we've been hunting."

"Excellent, time to report back to headquarters. Once we catch it and Cosmog, nothing can stop us!"


	42. The Island With No Kahuna

Chapter 42: The Island With No Kahuna

After healing his Pokemon, Ash and his friends went on their way, hoping to find the Island Kahuna or a Trial Captain. Ash could hardly contain his excitement.

"Alright, last island. You ready, Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

"That's what I like to hear."

Illima and Lillie couldn't help but share his excitement.

"You sure are confident, but remember not to get cocky."

"Oh, lighten up Illima. He's just having fun. I wish I could be as confident as you are, Ash."

"Hey, you!"

Everyone jumped. Up ahead, blocking their path, were five Team Skull grunts, all looking thirsty for blood.

"You're gonna pay for what you did to the boss!"

Ash clenched his fists, struggling to contain his anger.

"He deserved it for what he did to Pikachu!"

"Well, you deserve what we're going to do to you. Lets get him, boys!"

"Right!"

All five released their Pokemon, three for each, creating an army of Zubats and Salandits. Ash tensed, but was not afraid.

"You ready, Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

"15 on 1? That doesnt seem very fair, now does it?"

Everyone turned to see a very short girl come galloping in on a Mudsdale. After bringing him to a stop, she hopped down and marched over. The Skull grunts sneered at her, hardly taking notice.

"Is this supposed to be intimidating?"

"Go back to preschool, shorty."

This made the girl's blood boil, as she turned to Ash.

"Pardon me, stranger, but I hope you don't mind if I join you in this battle."

"Sure. My name's Ash."

"Hapu. Go, Mudsdale!"

"Pikachu, I choose you!"

Pikachu leapt from Ash's shoulder, while Mudsdale clopped over, the two allies nodding at eachother in acknowledgment.

"Alright boys, theres no way they can beat all of us. Zubat, use-"

"Mudsdale, use Magnitude!"

"Get in the air and Use Thundershock, Pikachu!"

Using Mudsdale as a boost, Pikachu leapt into the air before unleashing massive amounts of energy, shocking the airborn Zubats unto submission. The Salandits moved to help, only to be buffeted back and forth by the shaking Earth. By the time the two attacks had subsided, all of their opponent's Pokemon had fainted, to the grunt's surprise.

"No way! You must have cheated!"

"Lets get them and take their Pokemon!"

But before they could move, Mudsdale lowered his head and scraped the ground with his hooves, ready to charge. Seeing this, the grunts decided it would be best to flee.

"This ain't over, kid! One way or another you'll pay!"

With that the five grunts scampered off, Ash shaking head in pity.

"They never learn."

He then turned to Hapu.

"Thanks for the help. Those guys have been getting more persistent lately."

"No problem. Come on, why don't you come to my place? My grandma won't mind too much."

"Are you sure? We don't want to be a bother."

"Nonsense, we don't get too many visitors. Besides, she always makes way too much stew, and-"

The mention of food was enough to get Ash's interest, and he took off running, leaving Hapu, Lillie, and Illima to sweat drop.

"Is he always like this?"

"Afraid so."

True to Hapu's word, her grandmother was more than happy to have the company, and they all had a good lunch. Hapu and her grandmother could only laugh at Ash's eating habits.

"Slow down there, youngster. There's plenty to go around."

"Sorry, its juts SOOOO goood."

"Well, Its nice to see that you like it."

"Like it? I LOVE IT!

"Pika Pika!"

"Well, thank you. So what brings you three to Poni Island? Not a whole lot in the way of sightseeing."

"I'm here on my Island Challenge. Do either of you know where we can find The Kahuna?"

Hapu and her grandmother tensed up at this, their faces falling.

"My grandfather is the Kahuna."

"Great! Where is he?"

"He died a year ago."

Ash's face fell, sorry he had asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didin't mean-"

"No, its alright, you couldn't have known."

After that, the meal grew rather quiet, no one daring to say another word.

Later in the evening, Ash and co. followed Hapu out to the Ruins of Hope. Just outside, they found a small burial plot for Hapu's grandfather, where they placed a boquet of flowers. Hapu stayed kneeled for a minute, trying to contain her emotions.

"I miss you so much. I could really use your help now more than ever. I dont know why, but I keep getting this feeling that something horrible is coming, and Tapu Fini is still missing, and I don't know what to do."

Ash placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she quietly sobbed. After a moment, she composed herself, wiping leftover tears from her face.

"Thanks for coming with me. I needed some friends with me."

"Its alright. Mourning the passing of a loved one is natural, especially one you were so close to."

Hapu stood up, making her way into the Ruins before turning around to wave them over.

"Come on, I want to show you guys something."

Uncertain, the three followed her into the cave.

Deep into the ruins, they found a small room. In the center was a strange statue, and the walls were covered with carvings of Pokemon. Hapu made her way over to the statue, placing a hand on it with a small smile.

"Tapu Fini and my grandfather were really close, and I practically grew up here. We could never understand what she said, but we always had fun trying to. Every carving on this wall tells the story of a Pokemon that has met Tapu Fini."

Everyone stared in awe at the mass array of carvings. Then Ash noticed a carving of a strange Pokemon he had never seen before. It appeared to be a large mosquito.

"What's this Pokemon?"

Hapu's face fell upon seeing the carving.

"That's the one that took my grandfather away. I was playing with Tapu Fini one day when a local came running over, saying an unknown Pokemon was attacking the village. My grandfather and Tapu Fini ran to stop it. I only caught a glimpse of their battle. My Grandfather and Tapu Fini hit it with their special Z Move, sending it back to where it came. But that battle cost my grandfather his life. He was very old at the time, you see, and he had to use all of his strength to use it. He gave his life to protect Alola like a true Kahuna. Afterwards, I went to the Ruins in order to find Tapu Fini, only to find the place completely abandoned. I guess Tapu Fini felt responsible for his death, but it was his choice. That was the last time I saw my friend."

Ash placed a hand on her shoulder in sympathy, knowing what it was like to lose someone close to you.

"Hey Lillie, check this one out."

Everyone walked over to find Illima pointing at a carving of what appeared to be Nebby.

"This one looks like Nebby, doesn't it?"

"Ah, Cosmog. Legend has it that this Pokemon is related to the legendary Pokemon Solgaleo and Lunala, guardians of the Sun and Moon respectively."

Ash gasped in realization.

"Cosmog? That's the Pokemon Gladion warned us about."

He then turned to Lillie.

"Lillie, is Nebby-"

Lillie hung her head in shame, but nodded.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because I was scared. When I found Nebby, he had been hurt by terrible people, and I never want him to go back to that place! I meant to tell you, but there was never a good time."

Lillie began to cry, Snowy doing her best to comfort her. Ash reached out, giving her a comforting smile.

"Hey, its alright, we won't let anything bad happen to him. Right, Ilima, Hapu?"

"Of course! We're friends, why wouldn't we?"

"Absolutely! No creature deserves to be treated like that."

Lillie sniffed, wiping the tears from her face.

"Thank you, everyone. I know now that I should never have been so foolish."

With that, everyone left the ruins, ready for what the next day would bring.

"Did you get all of that?"

"Sure did. Those twerps have the Cosmog we've been looking for. Soon, everything will fall into place."


	43. On the Run

Chapter 43: On the Run

At Hapu's insistance, Ash, Lillie, and Ilima agreed to stay the night. The next morning, Hapu's grandmother cooked them a huge breakfast before they went on their way.

"So if you hadn't had a Kahuna in years, what have you done for Trial goers when they come looking for him?"

"Honestly, not too many people even attempt the challenge these days, and even fewer make it this far. For those that do, all we can do is give them a Groundinium Z and wish them the best of luck on their adventure."

"That's horrible! This tradition has been apart of Alolan culture for centuries, but now hardly anybody challenges it?"

"I agree, Lillie, but times change. Without any major recognition for doing so, most challengers just don't see the point anymore."

But before this discussion could go any farther, a small explosion rocked the house.

"What was that?"

"Come on out! We know you're in there!"

Everyone peeked out of the window to see an army of Team Rocket grunts lead by Petrel outside their door. The grunts commanded an array of Electrode to explode against the house, rocking it farther. Petrel grabbed his megaphone and shouted into it.

"Alright punks, do as I say and I'll consider letting you live. Hand over the legendary Pokemon you've got, or else we'll blow you sky high!"

Ash and his friends exchanged looks.

"Legendary Pokemon? Could he mean Nebby?"

"But how could he know?"

"That's not important right now, we need to get out of here."

"Quickly, there's a back way out through here."

Quickly, the group of five ran out, just as Team Rocket burst through the door. Petrel grinded his teeth in annoyance.

"Search the whole island! They can't run forever."

The group made their way to Poni Meadow, where they had to stop and catch their breath. Hapu's grandmother had it the worse, her back aching as she tried to rest.

"Take it easy, grandma. We should be able to-"

"This way! Hurry before they get too far ahead!"

"Blast! Come on, we gotta go!"

But Hapu's grandmother shook her head.

"Go on without me, I'll just slow you down."

"I'm not leaving without you! I can't lose another grandparent, not again!"

Hapu's grandmother put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, dear. Go, i'll hold them off as long as I can."

Realizing her mind was made up, Hapu and the rest of the group ran ahead, while her grandmother turned to see more grunts coming her way.

"Alright lady, step aside."

"If you want my granddaughter, you'll have to go through me. Go, Machamp!"

Ash, Hapu, Ilima, and Lillie found themselves deep in the meadow, out of breath and out of ideas as they heard more grunts closing in.

"Come on guys, we gotta keep moving!"

"But Ash, Hapu can't take another step."

Realizing she would just slow them down, Hapu took a step towards the incoming wave.

"Go. I'll buy you some time."

Unleashing her Mudsdale, she helped Ash and Lillie up before giving it directions.

"Mudsdale, get Ash and Lillie as far away as possible. Make sure no harm comes to them, no matter what."

"Dale."

"I'll be alright, just keep them safe."

After giving Hapu a brief nuzzle, Mudsdale galloped off as fast as he could, Ilima staying behind with Hapu to buy them time.

"Ilima, whatever happens, I'm glad I got to know you."

"The feeling is mutual. Go, Kangaskhan!"

"I choose you, Dugtrio!"

Ash and Lillie managed to get a good distance away, but they were hopelessly lost as Mudsdale slowed down, out of energy.

"I guess this is as far as we can go."

"Then it'll have to do. We better find some shelter, and fast."

"Over here!"

Ash and Lillie turned to find Rose and Alex waving them over.

"If you guys are looking for shelter, you can stay here until things settle down."

"Awesome, thanks!"

Lillie was uncertain, but seeing that it was their best option followed Ash into the small hut. Ash breathed a sigh of relief, happy to have found a place to catch their breath.

"Man, am I glad we ran into you. Glad to see some familiar-"

Ash's sentence was cut short as a frying pan to the back of the head knocked him unconcious.

"Ash!"

"Quiet, you!"

To Lillie's surprise, Rose grabbed her and taped her mouth shut before tying her up. Sighing, Rose turned to her partner, who had just finished tying up Ash and Pikachu.

"About time we got what we came for."

"I'll saw, now help me get these two to the boat. Next stop, Aether Paradise!"


	44. Paradise Lost

Chapter 44: Paradise Lost

"Ugh…"

As Ash came to, he came to the realization that they were no longer on Poni Island, but instead back on Aether Paradise. When he tried to move, he found that he was completely tied up. Ilima, Lillie, and Hapu were there as well, struggling to escape their bonds.

"Thought you would never wake up. The boss wouldn't like that."

Ash turned to find Rose and Alex sneering at them. Ash narrowed his eyes, coming to a realization.

"How do I keep falling for these disguises?"

Sure enough, the two threw off their disguises to reveal Jesse and James standing in their place.

"Don't even try to break out, we tied you four up good."

"Where's Pikachu?"

"And Nebby!"

"Oh, don't worry, they're nice in safe in their cages waiting for the boss to arrive. They'll make a nice present for the boss, and that Cosmog will be the final piece of the puzzle that we need."

"Ta ta!"

With that, the two walked off laughing as Ash and friends tried to break out of their bindings to no avail.

Lusamine glared at her captors as they messed around her laboratory, hooking Nebby up to a mass array of wires and tubes. Faba strolled over to her, smirking confidently as always.

"Well well well, looks like the tables have turned."

"Why Faba? After all these years…"

"Precisely, all these years under yours and Mohn's shadows! All my research into the Ultra Beasts ignored. My research would've revolutionized the scientific world!"

"And destroyed half of Alola! You have no idea the power that you are dealing with."

"Sacrifices need to be made at times in the name of science, not that I expect you to understand that. Now if you excuse me, Proton needs me to finish preparations. Try to enjoy the last precious minutes you have left."

Lusamine could only shed silent tears as she was left to her thoughts.

"_Gladion, Lillie, please be safe."_

__As Ash and Co tried to untie themselves, a new grunt walked over to their guards.

"I'm to relieve you of your post. Ariana needs you for an important assignment."

"Oh yeah? Well, too bad. I was told to watch these punks until Giovanni gets here, and I'm not leaving."

"Alright then, I'll just tell Arianna you're not doing your job. I'm sure she'll understand."

Not wanting to risk it, the grunts grumbled and left. The grunt then turned and began untying Ash, much to his confusion.

"What are you-"

"It's alright, I'm on your side."

After untying everyone, the grunt lowered his disguise to reveal…

"Looker?"

"Long time no see, Ash."

"Ash, you know him?"

"Yeah, this is Looker of the International Police. I met him in Sinnoh, but what are you doing here?"

"We got a tip that Team Rocket has been planning something big in the Alola region, so they sent me undercover to investigate. Apparently, they've been conducting research into something called Ultra Wormholes. I've called for backup, but it'll be a while until they arrive."

"We need to save Nebby! That's the key to their plans."

"Alright, but you need to do exactly as I say. Put these on and follow me."

After disguising themselves, Looker lead them down a hall to a storage room containing rows and rows of Pokémon trapped in cages.

"They took yours all of the staff's Pokémon and stored them here."

Ash immediately found his Pikachu, who perked up immediately when he saw his trainer.

"Pika!"

"Don't worry, buddy, we'll get you out of there."

It took them a while to locate all of their Pokémon, but eventually everyone was reunited. Lillie in particular was practically in tears when she found Snowy.

"Vul!"

"Snowy! There there, it's alright now."

"Hey, you're not supposed to be in here!"

Everyone turned to see the grunts from earlier, looking mad as Tauros.

"I'm beginning to think you're not a real member of Team Rocket!"

"Lets get him!"

But before anyone could move, the two grunts were struck from behind, collapsing in a heap on the floor. Gladion straightened himself before turning to the others.

"Good thing I came along. You guys alright?"

"We're fine, but they got Nebby!"

"WHAT!"

Gladion picked Ash up and slammed him against a wall, rage evident in his eyes.

"I told you to take care of, to not let it fall into the wrong hands! I. TRUSTED. YOU!"

"Gladion, stop! Its not his fault, we were tricked! They all did everything they could to protect me! Besides, now isn't the time to do this. If we want to rescue mother, we need to work together!"

Realizing Lillie was right, Gladion relaxed, letting go of Ash before sighing.

"You're right, fighting won't solve anything."

"Wait a minute, your mother? Don't tell me…"

After exchanging looks, Gladion and Lillie turned to everyone.

"Yes, our mother…is Lusamine."


	45. Family Matters

Chapter 44: Family Matters

"Your mother?!"

Gladion and Lillie nodded, Lillie ducking her head in shame.

"Yes, our mother. She and our father founded the foundation, and for a time we were happy. But after our father disappeared, she became fully absorbed into her work, leaving Gladion and I to grow up practically without parents."

"Then we found out what exactly her research entailed. It all revolved around the Ultra Beasts and Ultra Wormholes and harnessing their power. It was then I realized I couldn't stay here a minute longer, and so I ran. But now, seeing Team Rocket invading my home, I don't even know what to think."

Lillie began to tear up.

"Gladion, when you left, I felt so scared. You were the only family I had left, and one day you were just gone. Just like father, and just like mother."

Gladion put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Lillie, but I had to act fast to get Null out of there. If I could go back and time and do things differently, I would."

"Ah, how sickening."

Everyone turned to find Faba sneering at them, juggling a Pokeball in his hand.

"Looks like the Rattatas have escaped their cage. Guess i'll have to send you back myself!"

He reached his hand to his communicator, but before he could call for backup Gladion rushed up and decked him before turning to the others.

"You go on ahead, I'll take care of him!"

"But Gladion-"

"GO!"

"Not if I- UGH!"

A quick knee to where the sun doesn't shine silenced Faba, sending him to the floor in pain and giving the others a chance to run. Barely able to stand, Faba snarled in fury.

"You'll pay for that, brat boy!"

He tried to punch him, but Gladion easily dodge before dealing a swift kick to Faba's head, sending him reeling.

"If you were half as smart as you say you are, you'd stay down. If you want to take me down, you'll have to do so in a Pokemon battle."

Faba laughed, despite his pain.

"You think you have what it takes to take me on? My age alone makes me superior."

"Wrong. In a Pokemon battle, it doesn't matter who you are. Both trainers are equal, its how they train their Pokemon that decides the outcome."

"Cute, but wrong. Still, if you wish to suffer a humiliating defeat, I see no reason not to oblige you."

After making ample space, the two prepared for battle.

"Go, Sneasel!"

"Snease!"

The Dark and Ice Type swiped its claws at Faba, ready to fight. Faba sneered.

"You're going to regret not sending out Type:Null. Go, Hariyama!"

The massive fighting type punched the air, doing its best to intimidate its opponents. Gladion growled in frustration.

"Regretting your choice now? Go ahead and switch, I don't mind. Either way, I'll still win."

"No. I need to become strong without solely relying on Null."

"Fine, have it your way. Use Focus Punch!"

"Dig, Sneasel."

Before Hariyama could reach him, Sneasel dug underground, confusing his opponent as it tried to figure out where his opponent would strike next.

"Now!"

The ground underneat Hariyama gave way as Sneasel sprung out, sending Hariyama into the air. He recovered quickly, however, and landed on the ground without problem.

"A good tactic, I'll admit, but it'll take more than that to win. Use Seismic Toss, Hariyama!"

"Dig, and keep it up."

Despite Hariyama's best attempts, Sneasel used its smaller body to its advantage, easily digging back into the ground each time before popping up again like a game of whack a Diglett. Hariyama reached into a recently dug hole, trying to grab its foe. This gave Gladion the chance he needed.

"Icy wind."

Before Hariyama knew it, his hand was encased in a block of ice, preventing his escape.

"Now use Psycho Cut."

Leaping out from behind, Sneasel unleashed waves of Psychic energy on the helpless Hariyama, who could only feebly swat at them in an attempt to fight back.

"Hariyama, use Arm Thrust!

Hariyama used his one good arm to deal a hard backhand to Sneasel, dealing massive damage to him, making Faba smirk confidently. But Gladion wasn't worried.

"Counter."

Faba's eyes went wide as Sneasel recovered, smirked before striking back twice as hard, knocking Hariyama down and out for the count to Faba's shock.

"No, that's not possible! You must have cheated!"

"I don't need to cheat when you're just that weak."

"Why you-"

A quick kick to the stomach was enough to shut Faba up, knocking him out cold. Satisfied, Gladion dug through his pockets until he pulled out a key card.

"This will come in handy later."

With that, he tied Faba up in a corner of the room before walking off to catch up with the group.


	46. Double Trouble

Chapter 46: Double Trouble

"Faba? Come in Faba."

"Give it up, Petrel. Clearly he's out of comission."

Petrel gave an annoyed snarl before turning his attention to their captives. Lusamine, despite having been tortured mercilessly, gave him the ugliest glare she could muster.

"Alright, madame president, you're gonna spill the beans on The Ultra Beasts, or else things are going to get ugly."

"Funny, I thought they got ugly when you walked in the room."

A quick kick to her stomach was the only reply she got. Ariana sighed in annoyance.

"Forget it, she's clearly not going to talk. How goes the encryption, Proton?"

"Difficult. The data's been buried underneath every possible code imaginable. This will take some time."

Realizing time was something they didn't have, Ariana turned to Petrel once more.

"Never mind, continue."

Petrel grinned like a little kid on Christmas. He was going to have some fun.

Looker lead the group through the corridors of Aether Paradise, checking the map of the base periodically.

"How much longer to the lab, Looker?"

"We should be coming to it right...now!"

The group grabbed their Pokeballs, ready for a massive battle royale...

Only to find themselves staring at a dead end, their faces falling faster than a shooting star.

"Or...maybe not."

"Great, so we're completely lost!"

"All that walking for nothing."

"Oh, it wasn't nothing. I'd say you found trouble."

"Yes, and make it double!"

Everyone turned to find Jesse, James, and Meowth blocking the way which they came. Ash just sighed in annoyance.

"Seriously, is this really the best time for this?"

"Hey, we don't just do this for you, twerp!"

"That's right! Besides, its a classic. It'd be a crime if we didn't do it."

"Whatever, just get out of our way."

"Fat chance! Go, Mimikyu!"

"Go, Mime Jr.!"

As soon as his body left the Pokeball, Mimikyu leapt at Pikachu, ready to kill, but Pikachu leapt up in time, hitting him with an Iron Tail and sending it crashing to the ground. This did nothing, only breaking Mimikyu's disguise before he went right back to attacking. Mime Jr. went in to join, only to be backslapped with a Shadow Claw so hard it passed out immediately, to James's anger.

"Hey, what gives?"

"Don't look at me! But as long as he takes out Pikachu, who cares how he does it?"

Pikachu ran all over the floor, trying to get a good enough distance away to catch his breath, but Mimikyu was always right on his tail. Mimikyu growled, powering up a massive Shadow Ball before releasing it towards his mortal enemy.

"Dodge it, Pikachu!"

But it was too late, the Shadow Ball making contact and creating a massive dust cloud. When it had settled, Pikachu was nowhere to be seen, leaving Mimikyu a sense of satisfaction...

Only to be struck hard from behind, sending it flying against a wall out cold. Pikachu huffed, lucky that its double team had fooled Mimikyu long enough to get his attack in. Jesse and James could only growl in anger.

"Alright, no more mister nice guy!"

"Lets get them!"

"Croagunk, use Poison Jab!"

Before the terrible trio could move, Croagunk burst out and made quick work of them, paralyzing them with powerful blows to their midsection. The trio collapsed in pain, idesperately trying to move. Looker returned his Pokemon before turning his attention to his enemies.

"Alright, where are you keeping the President?"

"We'll never tell! Our loyalty lies with Team Rocket!"

"Looks like you ran into some trouble."

Everyone turned to find Gladion strolling towards them, no worse for wear from his encounter with Faba.

"I managed to get the Master card from Faba. Don't worry, I know how to get there, I just needed this for the route."

After tying up Jesse, James, and Meowth, the group of six made their way down a corridor before reaching the elevator.

"So, which way do we go now?"

Gladion paused, thinking for a moment.

"We can't go directly there, it'll be heavily guarded. The best route would be down, then up."

"Then that's where we go!"

"Hold on, mother, we're coming!"

After pressing a few buttons, the lift descended, taking the six to an unknown fate.


	47. Danger Brewing

Chapter 43: Danger Brewing

The elevator opened to a dark laboratory, with strange machines and tubes littered about. Gladion said nothing, only glaring into space as the others wandered about.

"We need to shut off the security system. That way, we can make our way up without being seen."

Lillie noticed her brother looking rather uneasy.

"Are you alright, big brother?"

Before Gladion could answer, Type: Null emerged from its Pokeball, as if sensing where they were. Once confirming its beliefs, the chimera snorted in fury. Gladion gently stroke its fur, calming it down.

"I'm fine, it's just…"

"Is this where you met Null?"

Gladion nodded, tears welling up in his eyes.

"I was sneaking around the labs down here one night. I knew I shouldn't, that I could get hurt, but I'd been hearing strange noises and I couldn't sleep. That's when I found Null hiding in a corner, scratches all over his body and severely starved."

Everyone gasped in horror.

"At first I thought he was a recent rescue kept down here for study, so I snuck him food whenever I came down there. It took a while, but eventually I earned his trust. Then one night, I learned the truth."

The tears began to flow freely down his face as he tried to wipe them off before continuing.

"One night, one of the scientists forgot to turn off their computer. I went to turn it off, but my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to look. What I found was horrific. Type Null had been genetically engineered to fight off the Ultra Beasts and had been intentionally starved when he acted out. What's worse is what they planned to do when they had captured all of them. According to the plans, once his mission was completed, Type: Null would be automatically deleted."

Everyone could only stare I horror, not able to believe what he was saying.

"I…I couldn't stay anymore after that. If this is what mother had become, I wanted no part in it. The next morning, I snuck out on the first ferry with Null and headed for Akala Island. For a few months, I just did whatever I could find for money: delivery, matches in the Royal Avenue, even work for Team Skull when there was nothing else, but I never stayed in one place, hopping from Island to Island to keep the Aether Foundation off my trail."

Type: Null whined, nuzzling up against Gladion's leg to seek comfort. Gladion bent down and gently stroked his fur, calming down his partner.

"But what made you come back?"

"After our match on Poni Island, I went to head for the ruins when I was ambushed by Rocket grunts. After I beat them, I forced what they were doing here out of them. When I learned they had captured you, I knew I had to come back."

Lillie put a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder as he choked back tears.

"Its alright, Gladion. We'll save mother, and the foundation."

Nodding silently, Gladion removed a panel to reveal a maintenance shaft.

"We can use this to get to the penthouse undetected. If they're holding her anywhere, its going to be there."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"We're coming mother!"

With that, the group slowly made their descent, trying their best to make as little noise as possible. The last thing they wanted was to alert the whole base to their presence.

"Yes! Breakthrough!"

"Did you finally make progress?"

"Sure did. Now we know everything we need to know to make Cosmog work his magic."

Petrel groaned is disappointment as he dropped Lusamine to the floor, the woman letting out a small groan as she fell unconscious.

"Darn, and I was having so much fun."

"Well, it's a good thing you made this breakthrough when you did."

Proton glanced up from his computer in confusion.

"Why's that."

"Because the boss just arrived."


	48. Admin Resistance

Chapter 48: Admin Resistance

All remaining rocket grunts stood at attention as Giovanni's helicopter landed, their leader walking out with an air of authority, his Persian and second in command Archer flanking him. He scowled as his three lieutenants bowed.

"Giovanni, sir."

"You had better have good news for me. I've received news that our operations have breached."

"Minor setbacks, sir. Besides, we're all set to open the Ultra Wormholes. Once we capture Type: Null and its master, the Ultra Beasts will be ours."

"Excellent. And the boy?"

"Walking into our hands as we speak."

"Excellent."

Without another word, Giovanni walked past them to oversee the preparations. Archer followed, pausing briefly in front of proton with a smirk.

"So, how long did it take?"

"Shut up."

After what seemed like hours of climbing, the group made their way into the higher floors of the Foundation. Gladion led the way, slipping his way out of the maintenance shaft before motioning for the others to follow him. Once everyone was out, he led the way down the corridor.

"Alright, we're approaching the Penthouse. If Team Rocket has Lusamine anywhere, its there."

"Hey, you punks aren't supposed to be up here!"

Everyone turned to find Proton waling towards them, a wicked grin on his face.

"Well, welll, well, looks like I've found my prey."

He pointed towards Ash.

"Let's go, twerp. Boss can't wait to meet you."

"Dream on! I wouldn't go near him with a twenty foot pole."

"I'm not giving you an option, now lets go!"

Before Proton could lay a finger on Ash, however, Looker stepped in and decked him, sending him to the ground. Despite this, Proton grinned as he picked himself up.

"So you wanna do this the hard way, huh? Fine, go Houndoom!"

"Croagunk, I choose you!"

Two two Pokemon eyed eachother, Houndoom pawing the earth and Croagunk punching the air to psyche their opponent out.

"Houndoom, use Fire Blast!"

"Hit him with a Fire Blast, Houndoom!"

"Mud Slap!"

Croagunk swatted away the massive blaze before throwing bits of mud at Houndoom, causing it pain and blinding it.

"Shake it off, you weakling, then use Flame Charge!"

Houndoom managed to regain its composure and ran full force, body covered in flames...

Only to stop and look around in confusion, its prey no longer in sight. Unbeknownst to it, the ground beneath was begging to shake.

"Beneath you!"

The warning came too late, as Croagunk burst up and dealt a sharp blow to his underbelly, sending it flying in pain.

"Follow up with Brick Break!"

Croagunk jumped up and did a hard chop to Houndoom's head, sending it crashing to the floor.

"Finish him off with Bulldoze!"

Houndoom had just barely enough time to push itself to its feet before Croagunk slammed into the ground, sending shockwaves the knocked it back to the ground in defeat. Proton was livid as he recalled his Pokemon, spitting on its Pokeball before pocketing it.

"Worthless mutt. Go-"

His words were cut short before a large amount of electricity entered his body, causing him to howl in pain. After a minute, he slumped to the ground unconcious, revealing a woman in glasses that Lillie and Gladion knew all to well.

"Wicke!

"You're alright!"

Wicke smiled as Gladion and Lillie rushed to hug her, leaving their companions rather confused.

"Uh, you guys want to introduce us?"

Lillie pulled back, wiping tears from her eyes.

"This is Wicke, Mother's trusted assistant. She looked after Gladion and me when we were younger, and helped me and Nebby escaped."

"Boy, are we glad to see you. How did you escape?"

"When Team Rocket first landed, they went after Lusamine first. I hid in a storage closet until they were gone, then grabbed a taser to defend myself. I overheard some grunts talking about a breach in security, so I went to investigate. I should've known it was you."

Despite his happiness, Gladion turned dead serious.

"Wicke, we need to find mother immediately and put a stop to this. Do you know where they're keeping her?"

Wicke frowned.

"They took her and Nebby to your father's private lab. She's not in good shape."

Gladion clenched his fists in anger.

"How dare they defile his place of work! If they get a hold of his research, it'll be the end of the world as we know it. Come on!"

With that, he took off running, Wicke and the rest chasing after him.

"Gladion, wait! Its too dangerous!"

"I don't care!"

Giovanni sat bored in his chair as the scientists made the final preparations, stroking his Persian to gently as tubes and wires were hooked up to Nebby's container. Ariana walked forward, a grim look on her face.

"We haven't heard back from Proton in 15 minutes. I'm afraid we must fear the worse."

"Humph. Good riddance."

Ariana's eyes widened in horror.

"Sir?"

"Proton was a fool who underestimated who he was dealing with. If he's been captured, so be it. Once we have the Ultra Beasts, any information he could give them will be useless. Are we ready?"

"Yes sir."

"Then let the new world order begin!"

Ariana hid her look of disgust as the prison worked its magic, electrifying itself and its prisoner as Nebby gave a devestating wail.

"PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"


	49. Fighting Our Way to the Top

Chapter 49: Fighting Our Way to the Top

Lillie stopped in her tracks, her face frozen in fear. Gladion was the first to notice, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Lillie, what's wrong?"

"Its Nebby. Something's wrong with Nebby."

"How can you tell?"

"I just know. We've got to go, now!"

"You're not going anywhere!"

From a doorway up ahead, Petrel and Ariana blocked their path. Ariana pointed a finger at Ash.

"You can go on ahead. The boss is just dying to meet you."

Ash nodded, stepping forward to go in, only for Lillie to grab his hand in an attempt to stop him.

"Ash, no! If anything were to happen to you..."

"Its alright, Lillie. I'll stop him and save Nebby."

Realizing his mind was made up, Lillie let him go, where he was escorted by a group of grunts. The two executives turned to their gathered prey, twisted smiles on their faces.

"Alright, you can either go back to your cells peacefully, or we can do this the hard way. Your choice."

Scowling, Hapu pulled out a Pokeball,as did Illima. Petrel's grin only widened.

"Oh good, I was hoping you'd choose the hard way. Go, Scizor!"

"Go, Milotic!"

The two's Pokemon emerged, an aura of hate and evil emanating from them.

"Go, Mudsdale!"

"Eevee, I choose you!"

Petrel and Ariana looked at their choice of Pokemon, then burst out laughing.

"Should've chosen your Pokemon better, brats! Scizor, use Bullet Punch on the Eevee!"

"Milotic, use Aqua Tail!"

Despite the speed of their Pokemon, Hapu and Ilima's Pokemon were faster, as they both jumped over the Aqua Tail with ease.

"Use Magnitude, Mudsdale"

"Eevee, use Swift!"

Once Stoutland landed, it sent a huge seismic wave towards its opponents, buffering them but they managed to keep upright. Eevee managed to stay a float and used its tail to swing stars at them. Scizor managed to punch through most of them, only taking a few, but Milotic took the attack full force.

"Keep up those Bullet Punches!"

"Dig, Eevee!"

As soon as Eevee landed, he began burrowing his way into the Earth, dodging Scizor's punch just in time to Petrel's annoyance.

"Keep an eye out, he's in there somewhere!"

Steadying itself, Scizor scanned the area, looking for its prey. Unfortunately, by focusing on one opponent, it left itself open to the other, so...

"Mudsdale, use High Horsepower!"

Scizor looked up just in time to get hit by Mudsdale's hind legs in the face, sending it flying into a wall.

"Get up, you weakling!"

Although weakly, Scizor struggled to its feet, more determined than ever. However...

"Now, Eevee!"

Before Scizor could react, Eeve leapt up and dealt it a quick Double Kick from behind, sending it crashing it into Milotic, who had been busy preparing a Hyper Beam.

"Watch it, Petrel!"

"Hey, its not my fault! Next time, don't get in the way!"

"Why, you... Milotic, use Hyper Beam on Scizor!"

"What?!"

To everyone's surprise, Milotic fired a firebeam at the dizzy Scizor, sending him slamming right back into his wall. Petrel could hardly control his anger.

"Alright, you asked for it! Scizor, use Flash Cannon!"

Opening his metal claw, Scizor let loose a blinding blast of light, sending Milotic flying. Seeing that the two would be preoccupied for a while, Hapu and Ilima returned their Pokemon.

"Come on, lets go."

Everyone nodded and made their way through, Petrel and Ariana were so preoccupied with trying to one up each other that they didn't even notice.

Ash and Co. made their way into the main laboratory, surprised by how big it was. Lillie and Gladion gasped. There, guarded by Archer, was a bloodied, barely alive Lusamine.

"Mother!"

Hearing an unwelcome noise, Giovanni turned his head towards them, his eyes landing on Ash.

"Well, well, well. We meet again."


	50. Rocket Boss Giovanni

Chapter 50: Rocket Boss Giovanni

Ash glared down the leader of Team Rocket with all the hatred he could muster. While this was only the third time they had actually met, he had heard all about him from his subordinates, and he hated everything about the man. Giovanni smirked, as if Ash's anger amused him.

"I don't know what you Rocket Ghouls want, but I'm here to put a stop to it! Get ready, because I challenge you!"

Archer laughed, as if he had been told the world's greatest joke.

"Please, don't embarrass yourself! Giovanni isn't as weak as those other fools you've fought. He'll-"

"I accept."

"Huh? But sir, it'd be a waste of time."

"Perhaps, but it has been a while since I've actually got my hands dirty. I accept your challenge, but know that a world of hurt awaits."

The grunts, seeing how serious this was getting, spread out, leaving the two trainers standing in the middle of the lab.

"Persian, go."

Giovanni's right handed cat leapt from its Pokeball, swiping the air intensely as it landed. Pikachu leapt off of Ash's shoulder, ready to get revenge for their last battle.

"You ready, Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

"Alright, him him with a Volt Tackle!"

Giovanni remained silent as Ash's Pikachu rammed right into his Persian, the cat standing its ground as Pikachu put more power into its attack. Then...

"Payback."

With a single swipe, Persian sent Pikachu flying back to Ash as if he were a fly. Grunting, Pikachu pushed himself up, more determined than ever.

"Hit him with a Thunderbolt, Pikachu!"

"Dig."

Persian burrowed into the ground just before the thunderbolt hit, leaving Pikachu frustrated as he tried to find his foe. Out of the corner of his eye, Ash saw the ground beneath his Pokemon begin to shift.

"Jump, Pikachu!"

Pikachu leapt into the air, just in time as Persian emerged from its hiding spot.

"Use Iron Tail!"

As he descended, Pikachu swung his tail and hit Persian dead center on the forehead, knocking it down but not out as it circled Pikachu, each one waiting for the other to make a move.

After pushing through the guards, the rest of Ash's group pushed their way into the lab to find Ash fighting Giovanni.

"What's Ash thinking? He doesn't stand against him."

"We'd better give him a hand."

But before they could move to help, they were surrounded on all corners by grunts.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"This is between the boss and the twerp, so butt out!"

The army of grunts charged, not even bothering with their Pokemon. Although momentarily thrown off guard, the group managed to fight back, kicking and punching their way through. All except for Lillie, who clutched Snowy closely to her as she tried to kick the grunts off of her. One grunt snuck up behind her, ready to grab her...

Only to be kicked where the sun doesn't shine and thrown away by a rag doll by Gladion, who proceeded to help her fight off the rest.

"Phew! Thanks, Gladion!"

"Thank me later, we've got to help Ash!"

As for Ash, his Pikachu was still in a deadlock with Giovanni's Persian. Although both had taken heavy damage, neither was one ready to fail their master.

"Persian hit him with Hyper Beam."

Pikachu could barely stand before being blasted with a massive beam of fire, sending him flying. Fortunately, Ash had expected that.

"Electro Web!"

Like a rubber band, Pikachu snapped back into focus, creating a web of electricity and using it to break his fall.

"Now use it like a Catapult!"

After springing on it for a minute, Pikachu pounced, leaping at his enemy like a rocket.

"Build up electricity in your tail, then combine it with Iron Tail!"

"Hit him with your own Iron Tail."

The two clashed in the middle, sparks flying as they battled for dominance. For a minute, it seemed like Persian was going to win.

"More power, Pikachu!"

With a grunt, Pikachu surged more power into his tail, pushing Persian back with all his might. Finally, a huge explosion occurred, covering the battlefield and forcing everyone to shield their eyes.

"What's going on, I can't see?!"

"And you think I can?"

At last, the smoke cleared. To everyone's shock, Persian lay on the ground defeated as Pikachu stood, exhausted but triumphant.

"Alright, way to go buddy!"

"Pika."

Wordlessly, Giovanni returned his Pokemon, staring at its Pokeball for a minute as Ash picked up Pikachu.

"Good work, pal. Get some rest."

Archer was livid. There was no way some twerp could beat his leader.

"All hands detain that boy! We'll make him pay for that!"

But as Archer glanced around, he could see that all of the grunts lay on the ground, beaten to unconsciousness. Looker made his way forward.

"You two are under arrest. Your soldiers are defeated, and you have nothing. Surrender now, or there will be trouble."

Before anyone could make a move, Nebby's cries broke the tense silence.

"PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

"Nebby! What are you monsters doing to him!"

Just then, all of the lights began to flicker as the power surged. Giovanni smirked, then began to laugh.

"You fools! You're too late! Even without my army, the Ultra Beasts will be more than enough to take you down!"

As he said that, a crack began to appear over head as Ash and friends watched on in horror.

On Melemele Island, Hala was taking a stroll through the forest when he tensed up. He didn't know why, but something didn't feel right.

"I sense a great disturbance."

As if the universe had heard him, a great, glowing rift appeared in the sky, as Hala could only watch on in awe.

"What is that?!"

On Akala Island, Olivia was giving a customer an appraisal on her jewlery.

"Lets see, for the whole lot I can give you $300."

"Deal!"

Just then, a customer barged into the store, looking very scared.

"Olivia, come quick!"

Confused, Olivia ran outside to see everyone watching the sky in horror as an Ultra Wormhole ripped its way into existence.

"What is that?"

Olivia's eyes furrowed.

"Nothing good, that's what."

Nanu sighed, leaning back in his chair with a cup of coffe. It had taken a lot of work, but Team Skull had given up for the most part. While they were still causing mischief, none of it was on the level that required the interference of the Kahuna, meaning he could enjoy his evening in peace for once.

His peace was short lived, however, as Sophocles and Molayne threw open his door in a panic. Sighing, Nanu put down his mug to turn to his "guests".

"Haven't you heard of knocking?"

"There's no time. Something's happening to the sky!"

Sighing, Nanu followed the two outside just in time to see the sky open up. Nanu sighed in annoyance.

"Well, crud. There goes my evening."

Over in Kalos, a Greninja sat underneath the shade of a large tree, meditating. Although it had taken months of effort, Kalos was finally beginning to recover from Team Flare's onslaught. He had a rough day, between helping reconstruction efforts and keeping the peace between a herd of Pangoro.

His meditation was broken, however, when an odd feeling came over him. He couldn't quite figure it out, but something felt...off. As if the very balance of the universe itself was on the breaking point.

Like a spring he leapt from his meditation and began swimming for where he sensed the disturbance was from. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew one thing...

Ash was in trouble.


	51. The Day the Sky Opened

Chapter 51: The Day the Sky Opened

Ash and his friends watched in horror as an Ultra Beast squirmed its way through. It looked like some sort of Jellyfish like thing, its tentacles swaying menacingly as more followed suit. Giovanni smirked, pulling out a new kind of Pokeball.

"You're mine. Go, Beast Ball!"

The Beast turned, watching as the capsule hurdled towards it...

Only to be smacked away by one of its tentacles, as if it were nothing. Giovanni could only watch in horror as the beast advanced on him.

"But that's not possible! I designed them myself! I-"

His rant was cut short as he was thrown against a wall, knocking him unconscious as the beast's continued to advance.

"Got any ideas, anyone?"

Ash pulled out his own Pokeball, ready to fight.

"I've got one idea. Go, Croconaw!"

Nodding, everyone else took out their Pokeballs.

"Go, Ursaring!"

"Type Null, front and center!"

"Mudsdale, I choose you!"

"Go, Croagunk!"

Once their Pokemon were all out, they charged at the interdimensional invaders, ready to fight to the end.

Hala grunted as his Hariyama fell. All he wanted to do was have a nice, relaxing walk through the forest, and all of a sudden a crack in the sky opens up and a mutant mosquito pops out. He was down to his last Pokemon, and he had a feeling that he couldn't last much longer. Wearily, he drew out his last Pokemon...

Only for a shadowed figure to leap down from the sky, standing upright to reveal Tapu Koko. The Island Guardian nodded at Hala, signaling that it wanted to fight.

"Oh, so you want to fight as well?"

The Tapu nodded, punching the air with its fist.

"Then lets show this overgrown Mosquito how we do it Alola Style!"

"Lycanroc, use Continental Crush!"

With a howl, Lycanroc brought out its full force Z- Move on the giant ...thing, managing to deal some major damage before being swatted away, landing out cold.

Olivia sighed wearily. No matter how hard she tried, the giant alien stood firm.

"Kahuna Olivia, what should we do?"

"Start evacuating the city. I'll hold this thing off as long as I can."

Nodding, her assitant began directing everyone away. The thing did not take notice, too focused on the pest that was attacking her at the moment. With a loud mechanical whirr, it lifted one of its large arms and threw it at such speeds that Olivia had no hope of dodging...

Only for Tapu Lele to shoot down from the sky, shielding Olivia and pushing the giant back. Shen then turned and nodded to Olivia, wanting to protect its home as well. Sensing what the deity was trying to tell her, Olivia smiled and nodded.

"Alright, lets do this."

Nanu sighed in his bored way. What was once a quiet evening had turned into him, Molayned, and Sophocles battling a living christmas tree. He wished he was exaggerating.

"Magnezone, use Corkscrew Crash!"

"Gigavolt Havoc, Togedemaru!"

"Persian, use Black Hole Eclipse!

The monster groaned as it was battered by the powerful Z Moves, taking severe damage. Its opponents didn't have time to celebrate, however, as it quickly recovered, slashing all three of them with one of its tentacles and knocking all three out.

"Aw man, its too strong!"

"We can't give up! If this thing gets loose, who knows what it'll do?"

"BULU!"

Then, to their amazement, their Island Guardian Tapu Bulu leapt down, striking the tree like alien and causing it to reel back in pain. Nanu sighed as the deity looked right at him.

"Let me guess, you want to fight as well?"

The guardian nodded, producing a Tapuninum Z for Nanu to use. Despite his usual demeanor, Nanu couldn't help but crack a small smile. No one had ever seen the Guardian's signature Z Move, and he wasn't going to pass up the chance, his misgivings about his position not withstanding.

"Alright, then. Use Nature's Madness!"

This scene repeated on all 3 Islands as Kahuna and Guardian united to defend their home. Each of the 4 deities produced a massive body made out of energy before merging with it, slamming down on the invaders with all their might. One by one, the four fell, disappearing into the rift from which they came, which soon collapsed on into themselves. With a weary sigh, all four Kahunas collapsed, utterly exhausted. Still, the same thought ran through all of their minds.

"Its over."

Oh, how wrong they were.

Ash and his friends sweated fiercely, trying to hold back the invaders as much they could. But even when they did manage to push one back, three more would take its place. And with all of the Team Rocket members either having fled, knocked out like their leader, or otherwise incapacitated, they were the last line of defense.

"There's too many of them! We can't keep going forever!"

"Looker, how much longer until your backup arrives?"

"Just a little bit longer! If we can shut the main power source down, maybe we can destroy the portal and stop more from coming through!"

And before anyone else could stop her, Lillie ran right for the console, beginning to push buttons and levers. Within seconds, sparks began to fly as the machine began to overheat.

"Alright, Lillie!"

"Way to go!"

Enraged with her meddling, the aliens began to swarm around her. Ash and Co tried to fight them off, but they soon had her surrounded,

"Lillie!"

Off to the side, Lusamine began to regain conciousness. Although her body ached and her vision was blurred, she could make out one thing clearly: Her daughter was in trouble.

"Li...Lillie."

As if she had recieved a dose of adrenaline right to her veins, she forced herself to her feet and ran to her, pushing her out of the way and allowing one of the beasts to wrap its tentacle around her instead.

"Mother!"

As if sensing its guardian was in trouble, Nebby fought through the pain and sent a massive surge of energy, causing the rift to collapse.

"PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

With one last surge, the rift collased, sucking Lusamine and the Ultra Beasts into it before exploding violently. As the dust settled, the scene revealed a very much destroyed laboratory, with machines destroyed and the roof missing.

"MOTHER!"

But it was no good. Lusamine was gone.


	52. The Aftermath

Chapter 53: The Aftermath

Within the hour, Global Police Agents had the whole island surrounded. While Giovanni and Archer had managed to escape, the remaining grunts were rounded up and hauled off to prison, including Petrel, Proton, and Ariana. Faba was nearly foaming at the mouth as he was dragged away. Ash and company were being checked over for any injuries, which they weren't apart from a few scratches.. However, Gladion and Lillie barely said a word, Lillie nearly catonic after seeing her mother disappear to save her life. At the moment, she just stared as a group of agents attempted to pry open Nebby's prison. After a while, Looker came in.

"Excuse me, but my commander would like to have a word with all of you."

Nodding, the group made their way into the office that was being used as the temporary base for the GP. When Ash saw who Looker's boss was, his jaw dropped to the floor.

"Anabel?"

"Hello, Ash. Long time no see."

Ash's friends looked on in shock as Ash and Anabel caught up.

"Miss Anabel, you know this young man?"

"Of course I do. After all, how can I forget the challenger that gave me my best battle in my entire career as a Frontier Brain?"

"But what are you doing with the Global Police?"

Anabel laughed before telling he story.

"Well, you know about my Psychic abilities, right? Well the Global Police hired me many years ago to help settle tension between Pokemon that threatened nearby cities. They were so impressed by my empathetic abilities that I found myself raising through the ranks rather quickly."

Her face fell.

"Then came the day... I was out in the field here in Alola, trying to calm down tensions near the Ruins of Conflict, when all of a sudden I got the most unusual feeling. It was a feeling of pain and despair. Then, the sky darkened and a crack appeared. The most unusual creature I had ever seen emerged from it. It was a towering... thing that appeared to be made out of living electricity. Despite my best efforts, the thing seemed immune to my psychic abilities. All of a sudden, I just...collapsed, the effort of trying to put the beast at ease had drained me of all my energy. I nearly died."

A shocked gasp rang out through the room.

"When I came to, I was in the hospital with my superior looking over me. Fortunately, my team had found me and quickly escorted me to safety. According to him, they had managed to repel the beast, and it fled back through the barrier."

Anabel sighed sadly.

"I was glad that no one else was hurt, but I knew I couldn't continue working. What if next time no one found me in time? I would be dead, and whatever I was fighting would run rampant. As soon as I was discharged from the Hospital, I put in my letter of resignation. After that, I led a quiet life until my old friend Scott came looking for strong trainers to lead his Battle Frontier. And the rest is history."

"But why come back now?"

Anabel closed her eyes, reflecting on the events that brought her to this point.

"Even though I had retired from the force, I still kept in contact with the organization. When I heard about Team Rocket's plans for The Ultra Beasts, I knew I had to step in. Whether i lived or not, I couldn't live with myself if I let these freaks destroy the world for their own machinations. The chief knew well my reputation, and put me in charge of the mission. Once Looker alerted me that Team Rocket was in the final phases of their plan, I knew I had to act fast. I only wish I could've gotten here sooner."

Ash put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Don't beat yourself up over it. You're only human."

Anabel smiled, hiding her blush. Before anyone could say anything else, a scientist came in with urgent news.

"Forgive the interruption, but we've cracked the containment unit on Cosmog."

"Nebby!"

Lillie burst out of the room and ran to the laboratory, the others in hot pursuit. But before he could follow them, Anabel held him back.

"Ash, I know you want to what's right, and that you'll want to help defend Alola from the Ultra Beasts. But I beg you, please stay out of it."

"I'm sorry Anabel, but I can't. I've seen what happens when people let these things go on a rampage unchecked."

"What do you-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Lillie's scream cut their conversation short. Running towards her, they found her slumped over Nebby's prison, crying.

"Lillie, what's wrong?"

Lillie rose up, revealing Nebby. Or at least, what they assumed was Nebby, as he looked almost completely different.

"Something's wrong with Nebby. He...he's not moving."


	53. What Comes After

Chapter 53: What Comes After

After being cleared to leave, Gladion rushed the group back to Akala Island. From there, they rushed Nebby to Paniola Ranch, hoping Brock could do something for him. Presently, they were all waiting in the house, nobody making a sound. Ash had let his Lycanroc out, who spent time with its mother whom was pleased at her son's evolution, but other than that the atmosphere was tense.

After what felt like an eternity, Brock stepped out of the "operating" room. Lillie practically ran him over in worry.

"Where is Nebby? Is he safe? Is he alright?"

Regretfully, Brock shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do."

"But Brock, you're the best Pokemon breeder I know. There has to be something you can do!"

"That's the thing, Ash. As far as I can tell, he's perfectly healthy."

Confused, the group of five followed Brock to the table Nebby was at, not making a move.

"His heartbeat is normal, breathing is steady, absolutely nothing is wrong with him medically. As far as I can tell, he's in perfect shape."

The room was silent, nobody knowing what else they could do.

"Well, thanks anything Brock."

"Of course, Ash. Anything for a friend."

Dejected, the group headed to Konikori City. They hoped Olivia might be able to offer some advice. When they reached the city, they were shocked to see it in disarray, the entire populace busy repairing broken structures and what not. When Olivia saw them, her face lit up as she waved them over enthusiastically.

"Guys, welcome! Sorry about the mess, we had a little trouble."

"Ultra Beasts?"

"How...how did..."

"Long story."

Lillie held up Nebby, and explained the whole story from Poni Island to her mother disappearing and Nebby's current state.

"Brock said there's nothing he could do for him, so we thought you might know something about this."

Olivia remained silent for a minute, before motioning for them to follow her back to her house. Confused, they did so, where Olivia rummaged through her books before finding what she was looking for.

"Lillie, you mentioned Nebby was related to the Legendary Pokemon of the Moon and Sun, correct?"

"Yes."

She set the book on the table, revealing a page detailing two interesting flutes. One had a bright sun carved into the woodwork, while the other showed a half moon.

"These two flutes, the Sun and Moon Flutes to be precise, are rumored to be mystical artifacts said to be a gift from the guardians themselves. In ancient times, Alolan people played them in times of need to wield the powers of the guardians of the sun and moon themselves. The Sun Flute gave them the power to grow crops and control the harvest, while The Moon Flute allowed them to control the tides and travel the seas."

Her audience oohed and aahed at the story.

"But what happened to them?"

"Sadly, with great power comes great responsibility, something our ancestors did not heed. The four Islands fought for power, each one having control over one or two at one point or the other. This all culminated in a disasterous war that nearly threatened to wipe the Alolan culture out."

The five gasped, horrified by how far this had been allowed to unfold. Olivia allowed the story to set in before continuing.

"After the dust settled, the survivors realized how foolish they were, and that they could not be trusted to wield such power. They returned the flutes to the guardians, who hid them deep where only the strong willed and brave hearted could find them. If you want to help Nebby, this may be your best chance."

"But where do we even start to look? If the Guardians wanted them to stay out of the wrong hands, they would've hid them somewhere remote."

Olivia thought for a minute, before something dawned on her.

"Just a few miles off the coast of Seafolk Village, there lies Exeggutor Island. They were once allied with the Poni people, but fled once it was clear the war could not be won. Now only the Exeggutor live there. That would be the best place to start."

Their next course of action decided, the group prepared for what would inevitably be a long journey.

"Thanks for everything, Olivia."

"You're welcome, Lillie. I only wish I could do more."

"Believe me, you've done more than enough."

With that, the group of five made their way to Heahea docks, Olivia being sure they left with lots of food. She waved to them as their ship departed, a small smile on her face.

"Good luck, Ash. You five will need it."


	54. The Lost Island

Chapter 54: The Lost Island

The boat made its way silently through the Alolan sea, Gladion at the helm while the others stared out in silence. Everyone wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind. Besides, they were on a mission, and they didn't want to waste any time. After what felt like hours, the boat drifted to a stop, Gladion making his way into the cabin.

"We're here."

Nodding, the group quickly grabbed their things and died the boat down. Hopping off, they took in their surroundings. True to Olivia's tale, there was no sign of huaman life anywhere, just a bunch of green. It was almost an island sized forest.

"Alright guys, lets get looking. Its a fairly large island, so lets split up. Ash and Lillie, you guys search the East. Hapu, You check out the South. Ilima will go West, and I'll take North. Anybody have any questions?"

No one had any, and went their separate ways, Hapu using her Mudsdale to cover more ground. They didn't know if they'd find anything, but they knew they had to try.

Ash and Lillie searched all over the eastern side of the Island, but came up empty handed. Presently, they reached the crest of a small hill, where they rested under the shade of a large tree. Lillie was starting to get very worried

"What if we can't find it? What if they don't exist? What if..."

Ash calmly took her hands and looked her in the eye.

"Lillie, I promise that no matter what, we'll find a way. Even if we never find the flutes, I won't stop until Nebby is safe. You have my word."

Lillie blushed, feeling better just from Ash's words. However...

"Tor...Exeggutor..."

"Huh?"

The two looked up, only to find the tree they were standing under wasn't a tree at all...

But the largest Exeggutor Ash had ever seen! It was much taller than any Exeggutor he had seen in Kanto, and its face was very intimidating.

"EXEGGUTOR!"

The massive beast swung its tail, Ash and Lillie just barely having enough time to leap back before it could hit them. Grunting, the Grass/Dragon stomped towards them, moving not unlike a sumo wrestler.

"Stand back, Lillie. I've got this."

"Ash, wait."

Ash stopped mid Pokeball throw when Lillie grabbed his arm, newfound determination on her face.

"Let me do this."

"Are you sure? Exeggutor's really aren't a Pokemon to be taken lightly, and this one definately doesn't look like an exception."

"It doesn't matter. If it means saving Nebby, I'll do anything. Please."

Realizing she wasn't going to back down, Ash stepped aside to let her handle it.

"Ready, Snowy?"

"Vul!"

The Alolan Vulpix leapt from her arms, eager and ready for battle. Unimpressed, the massive tree Pokemon stumbled forward, ready to stomp on the small monster.

"Dig, Snowy!"

Timing it just right, Snowy dug a small hole and disappeared, the Exeggutor not having enough time to change course and getting stuck, unbalancing it.

"Hit him with an Icy Wind, Snowy!"

Leaping out from her hiding spot, Snowy let loose a cool burst of breath, freezing the one free foot and trapping the giant in place. Enraged, the beast opened its mouth and began to power up a Hyper Beam.

"Use Ice Shard!"

The Exeggutor's concentration was shaken as it was hit by a barrage of icicles, its double weakness to it making the damage hurt even more.

"Finish him off with Draining Kiss!"

While the Grass/Dragon tried to recover, Snowy quickly ran up its leg, using its claws to keep attached to it. Then, once it was rested on its shoulder, it placed a kiss right on one of its heads before leaping off. This attack was the one that broke the Camerupt's back, and the Exeggutor collapsed in an unconsious heap.

"Good job, Snowy!"

The adorable little Vulpix leapt right back into Lillie's arms, rather pleased with herself.

"Way to go, Lillie!"

"Pika!"

Before anyone else could do or say anything, a low rumbling was heard. Turning, they saw the foliage fall back, and a pedestal rose from the ground, upon which sat...

"The Sun Flute!"

Lillie quickly picked it up, relieved their journey wasn't for nothing. Curious, she played a small tune on it, feeling as if all her worries had disappeared immediately.

"Pew."

Lillie smiled, happy that Nebby was giving some kind of response. At this point she would give anything for him to escape her bag.

"Don't worry, Nebby. Its going to be alright."

Just then, a low rumbling was heard, and they looked up into the sky to see dark storm clouds coming in. A minute later, it began to rain and rain hard.

"We need to find shelter, quick!"

"There's a small cave over there! Let's Go!"

Quickly, the two ducked into the cave, just in time as lightning began to hit the ground.

"I hope the others are alright."

"They're tough, they'll find shelter."

A few hours later, the storm had died down some, but it was still raining too hard to go searching for the others. Ash had made a small fire, and he, Lillie, and their Pokemon sat huddled around it, the sun flute tucked tightly into his backpack.

"Hey, Lillie? That was awesome what you did back there. Where'd you learn to battle like that?"

Lillie stared into the fire, trying desperately to hide her blush.

"Um, well to be honest, I learned it from watching you. I've taken note of your battling style and its amazing. In fact, everything about you is amazing."

"Ah, I'm nothing special. I'm just an ordinary trainer trying to be the best."

"I mean it. You're brave, kind, and great with Pokemon. Well, what I'm trying to say is...every time I look at you, I get these feelings in my stomach. Feelings I don't get around any one else, and I don't know, maybe they're nothing, maybe they're something, but my heart is telling me to act on them, and..."

Ash said nothing, just simply scooted closer to her. He touched her cheek, gently turning her head towards her...

Before planting a kiss right on her lips. Lillie's eyes went wide with shock, before leaning into it. Pikachu and Snowy just walked off into a corner to sleep, leaving the two so they could have some alone time.

A/N: Yes, I ship Ash/Lillie. Why? Because its cute, and they bring the best out of each other. If you don't like it, I get it, no hard feelings, just don't hate me.


	55. What Are We Now?

Chapter 55: What Are We Now?

Ash groaned, feeling a trickle of sunlight through the entrance of the cave. Lillie moaned as she sat up, moving to rub her eyes...

Only for both her and Ash to notice that they were locked in an embrace, having moved to hold each other in their sleep. The two of them immediately leapt apart, stammering out apologies.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"No, its my fault, really."

"No, I..."

"But I..."

After realizing how silly this argument was, they both laughed and put the incident behind them. Ash moved to the cave entrance to check the weather. The sky was bleak, but not a drop was to be found, save for some dew on the grass.

"Looks like the storm's passed. Come on, we should pack up and look for the others."

As Ash moved to pack, the events from last night played in Lillie's mind, and she needed answers.

"Um, Ash?"

"Yeah Lillie?"

"About last night...was that...real?"

Ash chuckled.

"If you mean if you telling me I'm amazing and me kissing you was real, yeah it was."

"Oh."

Ash could sense there was more to what Lillie was saying.

"Lillie? Is something wrong?"

"Its just...what does this mean going forward? Do we..."

Ash sighed. He hadn't really thought that far ahead.

"I don't know. I've never felt this way before."

"Really?"

"I mean, I've traveled with girls before, and at times I thought maybe there was something. But in the end, I only ever saw them as close friends. This is all new to me as well."

Lillie's face turned downcast. She feared she had just ruined their friendship for good. After all, how could they stay friends after that?

"But..."

Lillie's face perked up, a small gasp escaping her lips.

"This time is different. I definately feel something, something that I can't ignore. I'm scared, but..."

He stood up, holding Lillie's hands in his.

"...If you'd like to...I'd like to give this...whatever it is...a try."

Lillie smiled, daring to move closer.

"I'd like that too. So...does this mean we're boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"If you'd like."

"Oh, I like."

The two moved closer and closer, their lips almost touching...

"Hey guys, I found them!"

...Only for their friends to find them, ruining the moment. Quickly they leapt apart. One thing was for sure, they did not want Gladion finding out. Not wanting to look suspicious, they waved to their friends, who quickly caught up.

"Some storm last night, huh? Glad you two managed to find quick shelter."

"Did you guys find anything?"

Gladion shook his head, frustrated.

"Nothing. I checked the whole North side, but all I didn't find anything but trees and rock."

Illima shrugged, sighing in annoyance.

"Same here. Poor Eevee and I searched for hours, but not a hint of a flute."

"What about you two? Find anything?"

Ash and Lillie exchanged a look before Ash opened his back pack.

"You could say that. Check this out!"

Everyone gasped as Ash pulled The Sun Flute out.

"The Sun Flute! Where did you find this?"

"Long story short, Lillie took down a giant Exeggutor."

"Wow! Way to go, Lillie!"

Lillie blushed, embarrassed from all the praise. Ash gently rubbed her arm, calming her down, but Gladion noticed. And he didn't like what he saw.

"Hey, leave my sister alone!"

The two jumped back, scared out of their skins. Gladion marched over and gripped Ash by his collar, bringing them face to face.

"If you did anything to her, I'm going to rip your spine out and put it back upside down!"

"Gladion, stop!"

Everyone turned to Lillie, who was enraged by her brother's behavior.

"I know you and Ash aren't exactly the best of friends, but you have no right to threaten him like that! Who I decide to date is my decision, not yours!"

Realizing his sister was right, Gladion sighed and released his grip.

"Fine. Back to the matter at hand, did you find anything Hapu?"

Smiling, Hapu brought out a piece of paper.

"Sure did. I found this map in a cavern. It might lead us to The Moon Flute.

Laying it out on the ground, the group of five hunched over it, trying to figure it out.

"Hmm, Its a little tattered, but it looks like a map of Poni Island."

"And the trail seems to lead to this cave system!"

"Hey, I know this place! Its the Vast Poni Canyon. Its a large system of caves and tunnels. If you wanted hide something you don't want people finding, that'd be the perfect place. Plenty of places to hide it."

"Alright, its settled. To Poni Island!"

Their next destination settled, the group of five set off, Ash and Lillie bringing up the rear, holding hands as they made their way back to the boat.


	56. Lillie's Evolution

Chapter 56: Lillie's Evolution

The boat ride was short, but awkward. While Illima and Hapu congratulated Ash and Lillie, Illima even commenting that it was about time it happened, Gladion kept on shooting daggers at Ash, making him sink into his seat.

After what seemed like an eternity to the new couple, the boat finally arrived back at Seafolk Village. Before they headed out to search Vast Poni Canyon, they needed to pick up some supplies, so they headed for the nearest Pokemart where they stocked up on hiking supplies, Pokeballs, and anything else they could think of.

"Alright, I think we're all set. Hey, where's Lillie?"

"She and Hapu went to do some shopping on their own. Didn't say what for, though."

"We're back, everyone!"

The three men turned to see Lillie and Hapu coming back. When Ash saw his girlfriend's new look, his jaw dropped. Lillie had completely changed her look. Her hat was gone, and her long blonde hair was pulled up into a pony tail. No longer did she have a look of fear on her face, but a look of fierce determination.

"Wow Lillie, you look great."

Lillie giggled, pleased with her makeover.

"Thanks, Ash! I decided that its time to reinvent myself. If I want to help Nebby, I can't be the same old Lillie who's afraid of her own shadow."

"I helped pick them out. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself."

Gladion stepped forward, holding out the map.

"You look great Sis, really, but we should get going. We've got a lot of area to cover."

"Gladion's right. We should get moving."

Nodding affirmatively, the other 3 followed Gladion and Ash towards their next destination.

It took them a half hour to find their destination. They found themselves in a vast, dark cave, the walls standing imposingly above them.

"Alright folks, as long as we follow this map we'll reach the Altar of the Sunne and Moone at the end of the Canyon. So lets get going."

Slowly but surely, the group made their way through the cave, their flashlights being their only source of illumination. As they were nearing the exit, they heard a pained cry for help.

"JANGMO!"

"Sounds like someone's in trouble!"

"Come on, we better help them!"

"Guys, wait! We don't have time for this!"

Despite Gladion's warning, Ash and Lillie took off to help them, followed closely behind by Illima and Hapu. With an annoyed sigh, Gladion took off in pursuit. When they reached the source, they found a tiny Jangmo-o trapped under a pile of rubble.

"Moooooooo. Jangmo-o."

"Come on, we need to get him out."

The five of them began digging at the pile, their Pokemon helping out as much as possible. Slowly but surely, they managed to free the tiny dragon. It struggled to its feet, only to fall right back down.

"Oh, you poor thing!"

Lillie gently picked him up, digging a potion out of her back pack and spraying it on the Jangmo-o. The potion helped, but the Pokemon was still in great pain.

"Lillie, come on. Leave him, we have to go!"

"No!"

Gladion was taken aback by his Sister's outburst.

"I can't just leave him here. At least let me make sure he can walk."

Realizing her mind was made up, Gladion just shrugged.

"Fine, but he better not be dead weight!"

Nodding in understanding, Lillie followed the others as they ventured out of the first cavern.

A while later, the group was sitting down for lunch. As she was eating, she noticed Jangmo-o sitting by itself, looking down into the canyon alone. Feeling sorry for it, she sat down next to it, holding out some food.

"Eat up. You need to get your strength back."

With a grunt, the dragon swiped the food out of her hand, sending it careening down crevisce below.

"Hey! What was that for?"

The Dragon said nothing, only returning to staring forlornly.

"Zzzzt, perhaps I can offer a hand, Lillie?"

Lillie nodded, moving aside so Rotomdex could talk to the disgruntled Pokemon.

"Hey buddy, what's wrong?"

Once again, the dragon just humphed and turned his head in disgust.

"Ah come on, you can trust Rotom!"

Sighing, the dragon turned back and the two communicated. Nodding, Rotom turned back towards Lillie.

"You see Lillie, Jangmo-o's value one's ability to survive on the own. Anyone who can't pull their weight is cast out, and this one was one of the unlucky ones. He wanted to earn his way back in, and was honing its powers when it caused a landslide. That's when we came in. By rescuing it, you robbed it of its honor."

Lillie gasped in horror.

"Oh, Jangmo-o, I'm sorry. But you see, I can't stand to see Pokemon hurt. I never meant to insult you, but I also couldn't stand by and let you suffer."

The dragon remained silent, but seemed to be listening.

"You know, you and I are actually similar in some ways. You see, I want to get stronger too. For so long, I've relied on others to protect me. I was too scared of my own shadow to do anything but watch as people fought my battles for me. But I've come to realize that I can't let my fears rule my life. If I want to move forward in life, I need to fight my own battles. But you know what else?"

The dragon opened one eye, somewhat curious at what Lillie was saying.

"I've also learned that there are somethings that you can't do by yourself. There's no way I would've ever made it this far without my friends. And if I want to save Nebby and my mother, I'll need their help to do that too. Some problems are just too big for one person, or Pokemon. Just remember that."

With that, Lillie left to rejoin the others, leaving the lone Pokemon to its thoughts.

After lunch, it seemed that Jangmo-o was well enough to go off on its own, so they continued on their route. However, when they turned back around, they found the Dragon following closely behind Lillie.

"Jangmo-o? What are you doing?"

The Pokemon gestured towards Lillie, bowing in respect.

"Do...Do you want to be my Pokemon."

The Pokemon nodded, fire in its eyes. Lillie smiled, happy to be able to help it, but a realization struck her.

"Wait! I don't have any Pokeballs!"

Ash stepped forward, holding out an empty Pokeball to her.

"Here, you can use one of mine."

"Thanks, Ash. Go, Pokeball!"

The ball shook once before clicking, officially marking Jangmo-o as Lillie's first catch, to her excitement.

"Alright! I just caught a Jangmo-o!"

"Vulpix Vul!"

Realizing everyone was clapping for her, Lillie blushed and returned to her normal pose.

"Alright, Lillie! Way to go!"

"Come on guys, lets get moving."

With a new friend in tow, the group of five made their way outside, ready to tackle the next step in their journey.


	57. The Lazy Trial Captain

Chapter 57: The Lazy Trial Captain

After stopping for the night, The group of five stepped out into bright sunshine at the bottom of the Canyon. Ash stretched his legs, ready for another day.

"Alright guys, today we're going to put a stop to all of this. You guys ready?"

"Pika Pika!"

Ash's companions giggled at his enthusiasm, except for Gladion who kept shooting him daggers. Lillie wished he would let it go already.

"Hey, what's the rush? Why don't you just enjoy the sunshine?"

Everyone turned to see a blonde haired woman walking towards them, art supplies in hand. Illima sighed in annoyance.

"Oh, its you. Hello, Mina."

"Oh, Illima, long time no see. What's up?"

"Wait, you two know each other?"

"Unfortunately, yes. This is Mina, a Trial Captain. Not a very good one, though, as she'd rather spend her time painting than think of an actual trial."

Lillie slapped his head for that remark.

"Illima, that's very rude! Sorry Mina, I'm sure he didn't mean it."

"Nah man, its cool. He's right, actually. I've been a trial captain for a month and I still can't think of a good trial. Usually I go for a walk to brainstorm...but once I see a beautiful landscape, I just have to stop and paint it, you know?"

Everyone else nodded, not really knowing what she was talking about.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, but we should really get going."

"Huh? What's the rush? Why not stop to smell the roses?"

The five of them explained the situation as best they could to her, with Mina nodding along to show she was listening.

"Wow, that's rough. Well, the least I can do is offer you some help, so why don't you take this?"

She then placed a light pink Z Crystal into Ash's hand.

"This is a Fairium Z. It'd be the Z Crystal you'd win if I had a trial for you. Trust me, its going to come into handy coming up."

Ash remained silent for a minute before shaking his head.

"Sorry, but I'd rather earn it from you instead of being handed it."

"I see. Well then, I challenge you to a Pokemon battle! If you win, you can have it. Sound good?"

Ash's smile widened.

"Now you're speaking my language! One on one work?"

"Sounds good."

A few minutes later, they were ready. Ash turned to Pikachu.

"You ready, old pal?"

"Pika!"

Pikachu leapt off his shoulder, cheeks sparking ready for battle.

"Alright Mina, hit us with your best shot!"

"Huh? Oh, hold on!"

To their amazement, Mina took off her backpack and began digging through it, looking for her Pokemon.

"Let's see, Pens, paintbrushes, canvases, snack, spare smock..."

Ash sweatdropped, as did Pikachu.

"You've got to be kidding me..."

"Oh, here it is! Go, Ribombee!"

A small, butterfly like creature fluttered about, winking at her opponents. Illima stepped forward to act as the judge.

"Ribombee vs Pikachu, begin!"

"Alright Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Dodge, then use Pollen Puff."

Ribombee effortlessly fluttered bast the lightning bolt and got in close, releasing a puff of pollen that hit Pikachu, causing him to cough uncontrollably.

"Shake it off, then use Quick Attack!"

Pikachu managed to recover quickly and took off full speed, leaping into the air to strike his opponent.

"Dazzling Gleam."

Just as Pikachu was about to land its attack, the bug let loose a blinding flash, causing Pikachu to lean off course and crash towards the ground.

"Iron Tail, Pikachu!"

Regaining his eyesight, Pikachu swung its tail at Ribombee so fast that the little fairy couldn't possibly dodge, sending it flying into the ground as Pikachu finished his descent. Once the two had picked themselves up, they were both tired, but not ready to back down.

"Alright Mina, time to finish this. Pikachu, use Gigavollt Havoc!"

"Let's him with Twinkle Tackle, Ribombee!"

The two Z Moves clashed in the middle, pink and yellow energy fighting for supremacy until a massive explosion rocked the valley, pushing everyone back. When the dust had settled, Pikachu stood proud, but Ribombee was down for the count. Illima did one final check before making his decision.

"Ribombee is unable to battle! Ash and Pikachu are the winners!"

"Alright, way to go Pikachu!"

Mina smiled as she returned her Pokemon.

"Good job, Ribombee. Take a good long rest."

She then turned and shook Ash's hand and placed the Z Crystal in his hands.

"Good job, Ash. The Fairium Z Crystal is yours."

"Alright, I got a Fairium Z!"

"Pika Pika!"

After making preparations for the next leg of their journey, they all said goodbye to Mina.

"Bye Mina, that was a good match. I'll take you on any time."

"Thanks Ash, likewise. Well, off to paint more. Peace!"

They all waved Mina off as she disappeared into the distance, then set off themselves. They had a lot more ground to cover, and every second counts.


	58. Den of Dragons

Chapter 58: Den of Dragons

Following the map, Ash and co. found a narrow passage. On the surface, it was rather bland and simple, just a straight path to the other side. But they couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. After a long silence, Illima spoke up.

"I've heard of this place. A long time ago, it was the site of the final travel for many Alolans. Here, Dragons reigned supreme, testing the stength and resolve of the challenger. But after the Trial Captain died, the Dragon's grew restless and out of control, attacking anyone without mercy. No one dared to take over, and its long been abandoned."

Ash stepped forward and glanced at the ancient pedestal in front. Although most of the words had faded away in time, a single phrase could be made out: "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

"Are you sure this the way we need to go."

"According to the map, it is. Whatever this map leads to lies at the end, hopefully the Moone Flute."

Nodding, Ash stepped forward.

"I'll go ahead and clear the path. You guys stay back in case they try anything funny."

"Be careful, Ash."

After a good luck kiss from Lillie (much to Gladion's anger), Ash entered the tunnel. Slowly he made his way forward, the feeling of being watched only growing stronger until...

"Jangmo!"

Ash barely had enough time to look up as a Jangmo-o leapt down on him, Dragon Claw armed and ready. He leapt aside just in time and drew out a Pokeball.

"Shelgon, I choose you!"

"Gon Shelgon!"

Snorting, the Jangmo-o bent down and charged, aiming to use Headbutt.

"Counter with Zen Headbut, Shelgon!"

Just as his opponent got close enough, Shelgon gave a charged headbutt, causing his opponent to reel back in pain and give him the opening he needed.

"Drragon Claw!"

While his opponent tried to recover, Bagon dealt a swift jab to its abdomen, finally causing it to collapse to the ground unconscious.

"Alright, Shelgon! Come on, we need to keep moving."

"Gon!"

Slowly, they continued forward, their minds on high alert after that sneak attack. Sure enough, they hadn't made it 10 feet before they were once more ambushed, thi time by a Hakamo-o, whom charged at them with Close Combat.

"Flamethrower, Shelgon!

Before the Fighting-Dragon could land a single blow, the Endurance Pokemon let loose a large burst of flames. Even with its resistance, The heat was so intense the Dragon type couldn't get through and was pushed into the canyon wall.

"Use Dragon Breath, followed by Zen Headbutt!"

The Flames died down, but the Hakamo-o didn't have time to fight back before being struck by a wave of dragonic energy. While it tried to push through, Shelgon flung itself at it, striking it directly on the head and ending the battle. With that, they continued down the corridor until they reached the end. There sitting on a small pedestal, sat a Dragonium Z Crystal, to Ash's disappointment.

"Ah man, so much for this being easy. Ah well, another Z Crystal for my collection."

"Ash, behind you!"

Ash had just barely enough time to look up and see a massive fist charging towards him, allowing him to leap out of the way as the pillar was smashed and the Z Crystal went flying. Looking up, he saw an strong Kommo-o glaring at him, beating its chest in a move to intimidate him, but Ash wasn't backing down.

"Alright Shelgon, hit him with Zen Headbutt!"

Once more, tiny Endurance Pokemon charged forward, hoping to hit its opponent off guard...

Only to be stopped dead in his tracks by an ear splitting noise, recoiling in pain and dropping to the cavern floor. The Totem Pokemon smirked as it kept rubbing its scales together, causing further duress to its opponent.

"Fight through it and use Dragon Claw!"

Shelgon managed to push through, running up and dealing several jabs to Kommo-o's leg. The giant dragon didn't even flinched, picking the poor dragon up with one arm and hurling it across the cavern, smashing it against the wall. Then, before it could recover, it rushed forward and began to pummel it with Close Combat, driving poor Shelgon to tears.

"Shelgon, hang in there! I know you can do it!"

Hearing its trainers kind words, Shelgon began to foucs, trying to find some way to fight back...

And then it starting glowing, to everyone's shock. Even Kommo-o stepped back in awe as the tiny dragon grew larger and larger until it was finally a mighty Salamence.

"Salamence!"

"Alright, Shelgon, you evolved! Way to go!"

With renewed energy, Salamence began its counterattack, striking its opponent with a direct Dragon Tail, sending his opponent flying into a wall. The Totem Pokemon staggered to its feet, ready for another round of Clanging Scales, only to be hit by a full force Dragon Breath, forcing it to its knees.

"Alright Salamence, finish him off!"

Salamence nodded, swooping in and grabbing his opponent before soaring into the sky. Once they were at a suitable height, Salamence began its rapid descent, spinning as the ground approached. Then, as suddenly as he had grabbed it, Salamence dropped let go of its opponent and flew back to Ash as its opponent hit the ground, the fight sucked out of it as it fell unconcious. Smiling, Ash grabbed the Dragonium Z Crystal on the ground.

"Alright, I got a Dragonium Z!"

"Pika Pika!"

"Mence Salamence!"

Just then, a low rumbling was heard as the cavern wall fell back, revealing...

"The Moone Flute!"

Excited, Ash grabbed it, holding it out for the others to see as they approached.

"We've got them both now. Where do we go next?"

Gladion checked the map, and lead them to an ancient staircase. The stone was cracked and crumbling, as if it had been there since the dawn of time.

"Up this flight of stairs is the Altar of the Sunne and Moone. Whatever answer we're looking for, we'll find it there."

Nodding, the group made their way up, wanting nothing more than for this nightmare to end.

On a coast in a secluded part of the Poni Wilds, a lone figure burst out of the water and landed in the grass. Greninja panted, struggling to catch his breath. Although he was tired, having swam nearly full stop from Kalos, he knew he couldn't stop for long. Ash was somewhere on this Island, and whether he knew it or not he would need his help.

His breath regained, he began to meditate, focusing on his bond with his trainer in order to find him. Focusing...foucsing...focusing...

His eyes shot open, his target located. Like a bullet he shot off, running like wild towards Ash's location.

_Be safe,_ Ash. He thought. _I'm coming._


	59. The Altar of the Sunne and Moone

Chapter 59: The Altar of the Sunne and Moone

The climb to the top was long and tiring, but our weary heroes soldiered on, knowing that whatever they were looking for lay at the summit. When they reached the top, they found what appeared to be an ancient ceremonial site. In the center were two platforms, each of which bore the same symbols as the ones on the two flutes they had found.

"Well, here we are. The map ends here."

"The Altar of the Sunne and Moone. In ancient times, the people of Poni Island gathered here to pray to the legendary guardians Solgaleo and Lunala. Whatever we need to do, this is the place to do it."

The group took a moment to rest and and stretch their legs, the long journey having taken its toll. Salamence, overjoyed by its new form, swooped up and down all over the place, finally able to feel the breeze underneath its wings. Ash smiled at seeing his Pokemon so happy.

"Salamence sure is happy to have evolved, huh?"

Rotom, who had been busy taking pictures of the happy dragon, turned to Ash.

"You see Ash, Bagon dream their entire lives about being able to fly, but due to the long time it takes to train one most trainers don't even bother. When Bagon was abandoned by its original trainer, it felt like there was no hope of achieving its dream. But then you came along and offered him love and compassion he had never been shown before. Because of you, he was able to grow stronger and achieve his dream."

"So...Bagon evolved because I believed in him?"

"That izz correct."

Salamence landed, nuzzling Ash's chest happily. Ash smiled and stroked his scales.

"No problem, buddy."

After a few more minutes, everyone had decided that they had spent enough time dawdling and needed to move forward. But no one was quite sure how to go about it.

"So...what do we do now? We're here, but..."

"What do we do?"

Ash stayed silent, surveying the area and searching for clues. It was then that he took note of the symbols on the platforms.

"Hey guys, look at the symbols on the floor. They match the ones on the flutes."

"Hey, he's right!"

"Yeah, so? What does that matter?"

"Maybe...if we play the flutes on the platform matching its symbol... something will happen?"

Everyone was silent for a minute, mulling over the suggestion.

"It...could work."

"I don't have any other ideas. Anyone else?"

Everyone shook their heads. Without hesitation, Lillie and Ash dug through his backpack and retrieved the Sunne and Moonne Flutes before taking their respective places on the platforms.

"Are you ready, Lillie?"

"For Nebby's sake, I hope so."

Nodding, the brought their flutes to their mouths and began to play. For a moment, nothing happened and they feared the worst, but continued to play. Then, Nebby began to glow. Slowly, he slipped out of Lillie's bag and drifted into midair, and as they continued to play he grew larger and larger until...

"LUNALA!"

...A large, majestic Lunala stood in Nebby's place, to the awe of everyone present.

"Incredible...Nebby evolved into..."

"The guardian of the moon itself."

Nebby stretched its new wings, joining Salamence in a quick flight before landing back down and nuzzling Lillie, who was happy to see he was alright.

"Nebby...no, Lunala, please! I know my mother is still out there somewhere. If you could help us find her..."

Lunala nodded, floating in the air as it gathered psychic energy within himself. After several suspenseful moments, a strange wormhole similar to the ones in Aether Paradise appeared.

"You guys ready?"

Nodding, the group of five stepped in,disappearing one by one, Lunala being the last to enter.

"Hang on mother! We're coming!"

Greninja panted as it reached the top of the stairs, exhausted but knowing he had to keep going. Scanning his surroundings, he, couldn't find Ash anywhere. All he found was some sort of portal, with strange colors swirling around the vortex.

Concentrating, Greninja could sense Ash's presence within, but only faintly. Concerned, Greninja immediately leapt in, ready to fight. He didn't know what lay in store for him on the other side, but whatever it was, Ash was worth it.

A/N: Yes, I chose Lunala over Solgaleo. Sorry, but I prefer Lunala's design.


End file.
